Russian athlete Ivan Kukartsev has managed to prove the supplements he took were contaminated without his knowledge. Because of this, his appeal has been accepted by CrossFit HQ and he will serve a minimum 2-year ban from competing in any CrossFit-sanctioned event – typically athletes are banned for 4 years.
He’s done it. Ivan Kukartsev managed to clear his name, despite what some people believed. Right after CrossFit Semifinals, the athlete was caught in a scandal where his urine sample came back positive for illegal substances.
- Ivan Kukartsev – 1st place finisher at the Asia Semifinal – provided a sample on-site on May 19, 2024, that contained GW1516-sulfone and GW1516-sulfoxide, metabolites of GW1516, as well as LGD-4033 and dihydroxy-LGD-4033, metabolites of LGD-4033.
The scandal took bigger proportions when the Russian athlete claimed someone had put something in his drink during the competition and never, knowingly, took any performance-enhanced drugs to get an advantage when competing.
The allegations appeared to some people to be borderline ludicrous. Although we cannot tell for certain he proved someone spiked his drink during competition, the athlete now said on an Instagram post that he managed to prove his innocence and received a smaller penalty for doing so.
Ivan Kukartsev Proves Supplements Were Contaminated and Receives a Minimum 2-Year Ban from CrossFit
Faced with the daunting task of clearing his name, Kukartsev decided to test all the dietary supplements he had consumed in preparation for the competition, suspecting that contamination could be a plausible explanation for the presence of banned substances in his system. This decision marked the beginning of a long and arduous journey to vindication.
Kukartsev submitted samples of his supplements to a reputable laboratory for analysis. He also reached out to Drug Free Sport, LLC, an organisation known for its expertise in anti-doping testing and compliance, to obtain detailed information about the concentration levels of the banned substances found in his system. This comprehensive approach was crucial in building a case that would ultimately support his claims of accidental contamination.
“The lab results showed that one of the dietary supplements (creatine) that I used in preparation had a low concentration of banned substances, but it was enough to ring the alarm during doping control.”
This finding confirmed Kukartsev’s suspicion of contamination and provided the evidence needed to support his appeal against the ban. It was a pivotal moment in his quest for justice, as it demonstrated that the banned substances had indeed entered his system through no fault of his own.
According to Kukartsev, he received an e-mail “a couple of days ago” stating that his appeal was successful and he would have the minimum penalty enforced – 2 years, instead of the typical 4 years.
Reflecting on the Experience: Ivan Kukartsev’s Thoughts
Following the successful appeal, Kukartsev shared his thoughts and reflections on the ordeal in a candid post. He expressed relief at the outcome and gratitude for the support he had received from his fans and the CrossFit community. “This is another victory,” he wrote, acknowledging that while the situation was far from ideal, it was a step toward reclaiming his reputation and career.
Kukartsev also used the opportunity to address the broader issue of doping in sports. He emphasized the importance of athletes taking responsibility for what enters their bodies, regardless of intent or awareness. “An athlete is responsible for everything that gets into his body, no matter how it got there,” he stated, underscoring the need for vigilance and caution in a world where contamination can have serious consequences.
Read Also: Comparing Olympic and CrossFit Weightlifting Numbers
Everything Kukartsev Wrote About the Doping Results
The following is taken directly from his Instagram post and auto translated by the app itself.
Hello, Orthodox. Now I will write a post, which I will divide into two parts. The first is a bit informative, and the second is just my thoughts.
Let’s begin.
On June 19 at 01:14 Moscow time, I received the result of a positive doping test, which I took in Korea on May 19.
As a person who was responsible in preparing for the competition, I decided to go over in my head all the options from where the prohibited substances could have gotten into my body.
First of all, I took all my dietary supplements to the lab for testing, which I used in preparation and which I had left after the competition. The next step was to purchase from Drug Free Sport, LLC (this is an office that distributes letters of happiness) for a certain amount of money ($ 200) a package of documents, which indicated the concentration of the prohibited substance found in my body (0.1 nanograms / ml gw1516 and lgd4033). I think it is not worth indicating how much this helped me achieve victory? Well, at least according to the haters (sarcasm)
The lab results showed that one of the dietary supplements (creatine) that I used in preparation had a low concentration of banned substances, but it was enough to ring the alarm during doping control.
And the last step, I turned to sports lawyers so that the position for the appeal would be clearly formulated and written and it would not sound like “I don’t care, my ass is not mine.” And
just a couple of days ago I received a response from Drug Testing. The appeal was satisfied, I received a 2-year disqualification instead of 4 years.
I did not intentionally use a banned supplement that I did not know about and did not want to screw over all my honest opponents on the court. But in any case, an athlete is responsible for everything that gets into his body, no matter how it got there, that’s what the 2 years are for.
So for me this is another victory, a shitty one, but a victory🤣
I proved that I am clean first of all to myself and to all the shit-eaters who have been chewing me out for the last month.
