Athletics (middle distance) · United States · AIU, with the case heard at first instance by CAS

Shelby Houlihan: doping case, ban and appeal

Ban ended CAS imposed four years starting on 14 January 2021, and AP and Canadian Running reported in 2021 that the ban ran until January 2025.^3,1,2

Violation

Presence of a prohibited substance: nandrolone (metabolite 19-norandrosterone), in an out of competition urine sample collected on 15 December 2020^3,1,2

Results disqualified

All competitive results from 15 December 2020 to 14 January 2021, with forfeiture of titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money

Appeals

• CAS, 15 June 2021: Violation upheld, four year banCAS said the athlete "failed, on the balance of probability, to establish the source of the prohibited substance" and imposed four years from 14 January 2021. Canadian Running reported the panel called her pork burrito explanation a "cascade of factual and scientific improbabilities".^3,1,2

Athlete's response

Houlihan said: "I have never taken any performance enhancing substances" (AP, 15 June 2021). She attributed the result to a pork burrito from a food truck.

Sources

1. Associated Press (via WSLS), Runner says tainted burrito led to test for banned substance (15 June 2021)
2. Canadian Running, CAS report on Shelby Houlihan explains reasons for four year ban (1 September 2021)
3. Court of Arbitration for Sport (text reproduced by Athletics Illustrated), CAS media release on Shelby Houlihan, 15 June 2021, as reproduced by Athletics Illustrated (15 June 2021)