Fencer Ysaora Thibus not finally freed from her doping case

Tested positive for an anabolic in January, cleared by the International Federation, the foil fencer learned on Monday, July 22, that the World Anti-Doping Agency was appealing her non-suspension. She can compete in the Olympics but risks being stripped of a possible individual or team medal.

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Will it participate? Will it not participate? The Olympic horizon of the foil fencer Ysaora Thibus darkened on Monday with the notification of the appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency against the non-suspension of the fencer, who is due to compete on Sunday, July 28 in the individual event under the glass roof of the Grand Palais for her entry into the Olympic Games. The 32-year-old foil fencer can therefore participate in the women’s foil tournament on Saturday, July 28 as well as in the team event the following Thursday, but she risks the cancellation of her result, and therefore of a possible medal in the event of a sanction confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on appeal.

MK2866

The fencer’s lawyers confirmed the AMA’s appeal on Monday, as reported by the newspaper. The team. «WADA did not request provisional suspension in the notice of appeal received today”her counsel, Maître Thierry Chiron, told AFP. Thibus, the 2022 world champion, tested positive for ostarine, an anabolic agent, following the French leg of the World Cup on January 14 in Paris. The independent tribunal of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) ultimately cleared her. With the help of studies, Thibus had pleaded contamination by bodily fluids with her partner Race Imboden. The former American fencer had “admitted to secretly taking MK2866 (another name for ostarine, editor’s note) to develop his muscles which had not been stimulated for a year and his retirement”said in a study Professor Jean-Claude Alvarez, a toxicologist and member of the 32-year-old fencer’s defense team.

“Ligament injury”

Banned from the fencing pistes before her whitewash, Thibus returned to them in mid-June at the European Championships in Basel (Switzerland) after her whitewash. She had abandoned the competition in the second round of the group stage, struck down by a “ligament injury” to her knee. The French Fencing Federation had nevertheless selected her for the Games. It remains to be seen whether the FFE will venture to field her. She must decide between the risk of losing a possible medal in the event of a sanction on appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the chances of winning one without her number one foil fencer.

“I fought for this chance to play the Games at home, explained the fencer during her last speech, a subject broadcast on Saturday in the 1 p.m. news on France 2, filmed on July 12. I realized that I knew how to do a lot of things but not give up, she assured. I can’t wait to see this Ysaroa who has been through all this but who has not given her last word.” Maybe she won’t be the one to get it.

Source: www.liberation.fr