Canadian sprint canoer Laurence Vincent-Lapointe has been cleared off drug violation by International Canoe Federation. The 27-year-old was provisionally suspended for having traces of drugs in an out-of-competition doping test conducted on July 29, 2019. This suspension could have seen her miss the upcoming Summer Olympics 2020 which will be held in Tokyo. The federation’s decision to overturn her ban came after a five-month search for the source of the steroid ligandrol, which was found in the urine sample Vincent provided during the drug test. Summer Olympics 2020: Tokyo Begins Countdown, Flag Off Six-Months-To-Go Mark With Fireworks (Watch Video).

The 11-time world champion will have a shot at a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as she was cleared off any doping charges by the ICF. Laurence won the case as it was confirmed that the steroid entered her body by body fluid contamination through sex with her boyfriend as traces of ligandrol were found in the supplements her boyfriend was using.  Adam Klevinas, a Montreal Sports lawyer, fought the case on Laurence’s behalf and had arranged for 17 test in laboratories around the world while the athlete took polygraph tests in order to prove her innocence. Tokyo 2020 Boxing Qualifying Event Moved to Jordan From China Due to Coronavirus Outbreak.

‘I was so mad that he could have been the source but, at the same time, I was so relieved that after months and months of looking for it, we had found how I was contaminated’ Vincent said in a press conference on Monday. ‘It’s not something as athletes we think about, because usually you think about what you come into contact with’ the world champion added. India Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra Qualifies for Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Laurence Vincent-Lapointe can now concentrate on the upcoming summer Olympics in Tokyo as the fiasco is behind her. She is a multiple-time world champion and has also won three gold medals at the 2018 Canoe Sprint World Championships in Portugal. She made her debut as an 18-year-old in 2010.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2020 09:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).