For nine long months, Imogen Simmonds lived in limbo. The Swiss triathlete, known for her consistency and quiet strength on the Ironman and T100 circuits, suddenly found herself fighting to defend her name.
In December 2024, during what should have been a calm off-season, Simmonds provided a routine out-of-competition sample to the International Testing Agency, known as the ITA. Weeks later, she was told that her test had returned positive for LGD 4033, also known as Ligandrol, a prohibited substance classified as an anabolic agent under the World Anti Doping Code.
“It is with indescribable amounts of relief that I announce the ITA has decided on a ‘no guilt or negligence’ verdict regarding my ADRV from an out of competition doping control test on the 8th of December 2024. I was informed of the presence of Ligandrol in a urine sample on the 5th of February 2025, which the ITA have ruled was due to sexual contamination. At that time, the world I had spent my entire professional career building around me crumbled. The loss of identity I felt and the evaporation of my dignity has caused me a huge amount of pain and turmoil,” she wrote on Instagram.
Simmonds and her legal team argued that the trace amount of Ligandrol found in her sample was the result of accidental contamination through sexual relations rather than intentional use.
According to the ITA, the evidence supported her claim, meeting the threshold for “no fault or negligence.”
This ruling means that Simmonds faces no suspension. And because her test was conducted outside of competition, no race results will be disqualified.
A Verdict of Relief, Not Celebration
When Simmonds shared the outcome publicly, there was no sense of triumph – only relief and perspective.
“No doubt this news of a ‘not guilty’ verdict will not reverberate in the same way as the initial news, but to me, this verdict means everything and proving my innocence has been what has kept me going,” she wrote. “I hope that my story can act as a warning and education for other athletes out there. I would not wish my experience over the past nine months on anyone. Yet I fear that given the increased presence of artificial compounds in society and numerous other factors that can lead to unexpected ways of substance transmission, every single athlete is at risk of contamination, in some form. Athletes have a right to protect themselves, their reputation and their careers. I’m fully appreciative of the level of due-diligence that goes into each case, and I 100% advocate for clean sport.”
For Simmonds, this experience has underscored how fragile an athlete’s reputation can be, and how important it is to protect fairness and due process.
Cases like Simmonds’ are rare but not without precedent. Anti-doping authorities have previously recognized secondary contamination through contact or shared environments, although proving such exposure is extremely difficult. The burden of evidence lies entirely on the athlete, and the standard of proof is exceptionally high.
For Simmonds, it required extensive documentation, testing, and expert analysis, including negative hair samples for herself and a positive one for her partner. The ITA ultimately accepted her explanation in full, confirming that no intent or negligence had occurred.
As she closed her statement, Simmonds reflected on what comes next: “It feels as if I have spent the past nine months being haunted by this ordeal, and I am finally able to breathe again,” she wrote.
“What my plans and goals are for the future in this sport remain to be determined. But what this period of time has made clear to me is how much I love the sport of triathlon, being active, and sharing it with great people. I would not be here today without the incredible people who have reached out, stood by me and believed in me.”
This case also serves as a broader reminder for the sport. Complex investigations take time, and outcomes are not always what early headlines suggest. Allowing the process to run its course fully before casting judgment protects both the athletes and the integrity of clean competition.
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