A French Olympian has been cleared of doping charges after a court determined her positive test result stemmed from an unusual and intimate source—kissing her partner. Ysaora Thibus, a world-class fencer and silver medalist in team foil at the Tokyo Olympics, initially faced a four-year suspension for testing positive for ostarine, a banned muscle-enhancing substance. The positive result came during a competition held in Paris in January 2024.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which handles high-profile doping and disciplinary cases in sports, reviewed the circumstances of Thibus’ case and ultimately overturned the suspension. The court ruled that her violation was not intentional and found that the presence of ostarine in her system could reasonably be explained by “repeated and intimate contact” with her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden. At the time, Imboden was reportedly using ostarine, and the court accepted that multiple instances of kissing could have led to contamination.
The court found that Thibus bore no fault or negligence for the anti-doping rule violation, siding with a previous decision made by the doping disciplinary tribunal of the International Fencing Federation. That earlier ruling had also concluded that there was no intention to cheat or enhance performance through banned substances on Thibus’ part.
The ruling effectively ends a lengthy ordeal for Thibus, who had faced scrutiny and uncertainty over her future in competitive fencing. Her case was closely watched by the sporting community, not only because of the unusual nature of the defense but also due to its parallels with a previous case involving a French tennis player who tested positive for cocaine and was later cleared after convincing authorities the substance was transferred during a kiss.
With the CAS decision now final, Thibus has been formally exonerated. She had been allowed to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics due to the initial tribunal’s decision, and she went on to help her team place fifth in the foil competition on home soil. The dismissal of the appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency confirms her eligibility and clears her name as the case officially closes.
This development highlights the growing complexity of anti-doping enforcement in professional sports, where trace contamination and unexpected exposure routes are becoming more recognized in scientific reviews. For Thibus, it brings resolution to a saga that could have derailed her career, and serves as a reminder that not all doping cases are clear-cut.
