A legal team representing Ryan Garcia, the boxer who faces a possible suspension because he tested positive for a banned substance, said test results show he was a victim of supplement contamination.
Garcia tested positive the day before and the day of his April 20 fight against Devin Haney.
“The test results from samples of two supplements declared by Ryan Garcia on VADA Doping Control Forms, signed on April 19th and 20th, have returned positive for Ostarine contamination,’’ read a statement issued by his attorneys Thursday.
The attorneys attached copies of the “confidential test reports” showing Ostarine, a banned substance, was detected in two supplements: NutraBIO super carb raspberry lemonade and strawberry-flavored Body Heath Perfect Amino.
Garcia tested positive for Ostarine on the A-sample and B-sample collected the day before and the day of his fight against Haney. But Garcia, who knocked down Haney three times in the fight Garcia won by majority decision, adamantly denied taking any banned substances.
The test results released by Garcia’s legal team indicates the testing of the supplements was conducted by Sports Medicine Research & Testing. The lab is used by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), which oversaw drug testing for the Garcia-Haney fight.
“This confirms what we have consistently maintained: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and has never intentionally used any banned or performance-enhancing substances,’’ the statement read. “Any claims to the contrary, questioning Ryan’s integrity as a clean fighter, are unequivocally false and defamatory.’’
The matter will be heard by the New York State Athletic Commission because the fight took place in Brooklyn. The commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment submitted by email.
“Throughout his career, Ryan has voluntarily submitted to numerous tests, all of which have returned negative results, underscoring his commitment to fair and clean competition,’’ the statement read. “Additionally, multiple negative tests leading up to his fight against Haney further affirm his clean record. The ultra-low levels of Ostarine detected in his samples, in the billionth of a gram range, along with his clean hair sample proves contamination rather than intentional ingestion. The recent test results reiterate this.’’
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Garcia reps says contaminated supplements led to positive test
