Olympics-Canadian Olympic bobsledder de Bruin hit with three-year ban

(Reuters) -Canadian Olympic bobsledder Christine de Bruin, winner of the monobob bronze at the Beijing Games, has been handed a three-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) said on Friday.

An out-of-competition test taken in August revealed the presence of SARM LGD-4033, a prohibited anabolic agent known to aid in the increase of muscle mass.

De Bruin, who also competed for Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, admitted to the violation in October and waived her right to a hearing.

The 33-year-old’s admission resulted in a one-year reduction in what was originally a four-year ban. De Bruin’s suspension started on Sept. 28 and runs until Sept. 27, 2025.

“Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) is deeply disappointed to learn that one of our athletes was found to have violated anti-doping rules,” said Sarah Storey, president, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton in a statement. “BCS has zero tolerance for doping; we believe in clean sport and fair play.

“We do not tolerate this behaviour and we are going to continue to excel with clean athletes who respect the rules of fair play.”

While De Bruin admitted to the violation she said in a statement that did so because she was not in a financial position to challenge the ruling.

“I appreciate and respect the need to have tough rules to keep the playing field clean,” she said. “However, I signed the Early Admission and Acceptance Agreement on October 21, 2022, thereby admitting to the violation, because I simply do not have the financial means to fight it.

“I have always considered competing for Canada and wearing the maple leaf on my suit around the world an absolute privilege, and I would never do anything intentionally to jeopardize this honour.”

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)