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It all started when a cryptic statement from Curling Canada appeared on social media announcing that Team Canada lead Briane Harris had been “ruled ineligible” for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary.
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It was a shocking development regarding a Kerri Einarson team that entered the Scotties as four-time defending champions and was wearing the Maple Leaf as it pursued a record fifth straight title.
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It was a mystery that hung over the curling world for weeks, with Curling Canada, Team Einarson and everyone else who could possibly know anything refusing to say another word.
It remained unsolved until Tuesday when someone finally let the cat out of the curling bag — Harris herself.
The 32-year-old new mother from Winnipeg, who has been one of the top leads on the planet for the last five years, revealed that she tested positive for a banned substance called Ligandrol, had been provisionally suspended by the World Curling Federation, and is facing a four-year ban from the sport.
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Many will wonder how that bit of information, regarding a nationally-funded Team Canada athlete, was not released sooner. Many curling fans were irate that they were left in the dark as to why Harris was absent from the Scotties and others wonder why protocols would allow for such a situation to happen.
All we can do is try to explain it as best as possible, so here goes:
—On Jan. 24, Harris was given an out-of-competition test for banned substances. As a carded athlete, Harris is subject to random testing. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport handles drug testing, which is done in conjunction with the World Curling Federation and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
—On Feb. 15, a day before the Scotties Tournament of Hearts was to begin, Harris was informed that her ‘A’ sample had come back positive and that she was being provisionally suspended pending results of the ‘B’ sample. She informed Curling Canada of the suspension on Feb. 16, the day the Scotties began in Calgary. Curling Canada issued its shocking “ruled ineligible” release later that day.
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—Harris’s teammates, Einarson, Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard and Krysten Karwacki, carried on in the Scotties, putting together a 7-1 record before losing two straight playoff games to bow out of the tournament. It was the first time since 2019 that Team Einarson did not win the Scotties title. As instructed, they provided no updates on the Harris situation, saying they were not at liberty to talk about it.
—The ‘B’ sample was opened and tested on an agreed date between the athlete and the testing agency in the presence of an independent witness, as per the official WADA protocol for testing. The results of that test are believed to have been returned last week. The ‘B’ sample was once again positive, meaning the provisional suspension would be upheld.
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—The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has a policy that any positive results should be released to the public within 20 days of the finding. If the ‘B’ sample was just returned last week, they would have to officially release the information within 20 days of that date.
—On Tuesday, Harris chose to release information about the positive drug test to CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux, through her lawyer Amanda Fowler. This prompted Curling Canada and the World Curling Federation to release statements as well. Again, it was Harris’s choice to make the information public as WCF policy is to not normally release the name of an athlete who has tested positive until it is going to an arbitration panel.
—Harris and Fowler indicated she intends to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She intends to argue that she was unknowingly exposed to the banned substance through bodily contact (sweat, saliva or semen). There is precedent for such an argument, as Canadian canoeist Laurence Vincent Lapointe was cleared by an International Canoe Federation anti-doping panel in 2020 after arguing that she did not knowingly ingest the Ligandrol that was found in her system. Vincent Lapointe successfully argued that the trace amounts of the drug in her system could have come from bodily fluids exchanged with her former boyfriend.
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—Ligandrol is on the WADA list of prohibited substances. It is used to increase energy and muscle growth. It mimics the activity of testosterone in the body.
—Harris said she was shocked and devasted by the positive test result. She said she does not take any supplements and hesitates to take even Advil or Tylenol. She said she was crushed to have not been able to participate in the Scotties and is now focused on trying to make sure she can clear her name before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan. The Einarson team will certainly be a contender to represent Canada at the Olympics. The Olympic trials are slated for late November of 2025 in Halifax.
—The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an independent institution created by the International Olympic Committee. Because Harris is recognized to be an international athlete, having represented Canada numerous times on the world stage, she can appeal directly to the CAS Anti-Doping Division as opposed to going through the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
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—Fowler made it clear that the silence surrounding the Harris situation from the beginning, which fuelled the mystery about her absence, was warranted. She said it was “Simply due to the need to maintain strict confidentiality while the ‘B’ sample was being tested.”
—Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen spoke to the media on Tuesday and explained that the organization has had its hands tied in terms of releasing information. “The rules stipulate that the only people who are allowed to publicly disclose the identity of an athlete who has tested positive or had an adverse analytical finding is the athlete themselves or the testing agency,” Thiessen said. “We are bystanders in this at this point. She has her right to due process and a right to appeal, which we totally support for all of our athletes in any of these situations. She’ll go through the process and whatever the final decision is by the Court of Arbitration for Sport is what we will follow.”
Twyman@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/Ted_Wyman
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