In a surprising turn of events, Ryan Garcia’s B-samples from drug tests conducted before and on the day of his fight against Devin Haney on April 20 have tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. This information was confirmed by attorney Pat English, representing Haney. The tests were carried out by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, contracted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The revelation came on Thursday, with English stating he was informed of the lab results after the B-samples were tested. Garcia, who won the fight by majority decision, faces potential repercussions from the New York State Athletic Commission, as the fight took place in New York. English mentioned that the typical procedure would involve issuing a suspension, though Garcia has the option to request a hearing.
Garcia’s legal team has responded, asserting that the positive test for ostarine resulted from a contaminated supplement. In a statement, they emphasized Garcia’s commitment to clean and fair competition and noted that he had never intentionally used any banned substances. They highlighted that Garcia voluntarily submitted a hair sample to Dr. Pascal Kintz, an expert in toxicology and hair-sample analysis, which came back negative for ostarine. This, according to his legal team, suggests contamination rather than intentional use, as ostarine would need to be ingested over a period of time to provide any performance-enhancing benefits.
Garcia has maintained his innocence, stating on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, “Let’s go we positive” and “I don’t care I’ll never make money again with boxing.’’ He has consistently tested negative for banned substances throughout his career, including multiple tests leading up to the fight against Haney. His team argues that the ultra-low levels of ostarine found in his samples, in the billionth of a gram range, support the theory of supplement contamination.
The case now awaits further developments from the New York State Athletic Commission, which has yet to respond to requests for comments. Meanwhile, Garcia’s team is in the process of testing the supplements he used in the lead-up to the fight to identify the source of the contamination.
This incident has raised significant questions about the presence of banned substances in sports supplements and the measures athletes must take to ensure they compete clean. The outcome of Garcia’s case could have important implications for the protocols surrounding drug testing and the handling of contamination claims in the sports world.
