Today the Games begin and the news of the disqualifications never ends. This time the Team Invictus Unconquerable has been eliminated from the Games after a failed doping test.
Deshawn Smith, one of the team members, tested positive forendurobol, a SARM, after the team finished second in the West Coast Classic.
According to reports from CrossFit®, Smith is filing an appeal.
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WHAT THE COAH OF THE INVICTUS INCONQUERABLE TEAM SAYS
CJ Martin, head coach and founder of CrossFit® Invictus said the following about it: “We are extremely disappointed to learn that our Invictus Unconquerable team will not compete in the CrossFit® Games…
While we support Deshawn and will support testing for all supplements he has taken to determine if he has appeared in his system due to contamination, we also believe in fair sport and understand the strict liability associated with PEDs in an athlete's system.
I accept full responsibility to better educate our athletes on the dangers of taking non-NSF certified supplements. ”
There are several athletes in recent seasons tested positive for Endurobol including Ricky and Ben Garard and at least six others in the past three years.
One important thing: this is now the third team in a week, the fourth team this season, to be disqualified from the Games. The team that will participate now will be the TeamMade.
But the big question is IF and WHEN Will these four new teams be tested for doping?
THE CROSSFIT® GAMES RULES
According to the CrossFit® Games rules, section 4.15 states:
"Drug tests are necessary for every single athlete or team to go to the Games or to win prizes."
Let's hear from CrossFit® spokesperson Andrew Weinstein, “Under the CrossFit® Games Drug Testing Policy, we have the right to test any athlete at any time, but we do not share or announce such plans. We regularly test athletes throughout the season and in various stages during the finals of the Games ”.
Reading between the lines: With the exception of athletes and teams qualified for the Regionals, Semifinals and Games, CrossFit® has no never publicly stated when planning to test an athlete or a team.
According to the boys of morning chalk up, this would help undermine the nature of the testing process. Based on their past experience at the Games and their conversations with the athletes, they claim that the progress of on-site testing they are thorough, but cannot confirm that every athlete or team has actually been tested!
THE GENERAL FRAMEWORK
Anyone competing in the CrossFit® Games, whether it be a team or individuals, they deserve to compete against athletes who have been tested before getting there.
CrossFit® does not reveal if every single athlete in the race is tested on arrival, so it is possible that an athlete will not finish on the podium, but perhaps in 21st position (so no final payment) but still win a Games event and pocket $ 3.000 that should rightfully belong to another athlete.
Not very nice, is it?