Cursor Following a positive test for a prohibited substance, Briane Harris faces a 4-year punishment; she intends to appeal four times. The champion for Scotties claims she was “unknowingly exposed.”Cursor Following a positive test for a prohibited substance, Briane Harris faces a 4-year punishment; she intends to appeal four times. The champion for Scotties claims she was “unknowingly exposed.”
Briane Harris, the four-time Canadian women’s curling champion, has been placed on provisional indefinite suspension following a positive test result for the illicit drug Ligandrol.
The Winnipeg native, 32, however, revealed to CBC Sports that she intends to challenge the prohibition in court, claiming she was unintentionally exposed to it through physical contact.
The World Curling Federation would only admit that one athlete in its testing pool had tested positive and been suspended in a statement to CBC Sports; they would not provide the athlete’s name.
Just hours before the first game of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which took place last month and in which Harris and her team were the reigning champions, it was decided that Harris was not qualified. Harris is the head player for Team Einarson.
In a statement to CBC Sports, Harris said, “I was completely shocked and devastated when I became aware of my positive test result.” I was shocked that this could happen to me because I don’t take any supplements at all and even hesitate to take Tylenol or Advil.
“I was devastated that I was unable to support my friends in defending our title and compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. My current objective is to get this resolved as quickly as possible in order to keep my Olympic aspirations intact; it would be intolerable to have those dreams in peril for no fault of mine.”
Forbidden by the World Anti-Doping Agency is Ligandrol. It is applied to promote muscular growth and vitality.
Doping control officers tested Harris on January 24 and informed her of the result on February 15. Last week, a second sample—referred to as the B sample—was sent back, confirming the positive test result.
Harris stated, “All I can hope for myself at this time is that the truth will prevail,” but she did not elaborate on her assertion.
Since the first announcement declaring Harris ineligible, neither Harris nor Curling Canada have commented; according to Harris’s attorneys, Amanda Fowler and Dr. Emir Crowne, the quiet was appropriate.
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