CrossFit has officially handed out a 4-year sanction to Angelique Connoway today. In the announcement, CrossFit confirmed the suspension and that it retroactive to May 21, 2023, the date she took the in-competition drug test at the REBEL Renegade Games, host of the Africa Semifinal.
Connoway was on the CrossFit FBDV Mayhem Africa team that won the team competition and was slated to compete at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games. However, after Connoway tested positive for metabolites of GW501516 and subsequently dropped her appeal, the team’s invitation was retracted. Cape CrossFit Wolfpack, the 2nd place team at Semifinals, has received a backfill invitation and will be making the trip to Madison.
The sanction is the second this year and first from the in-competition drug testing at Semifinals. Back in March, Danijela Hodges received a 4-year sanction during an out-of-competition drug test in March. Hodges did not test positive, but was sanctioned for failing to submit a drug test when notified. Hodges disputed the sanction and has publicly stated that she did not knowingly avoid a drug test and that she was away with family for the weekend without her cell phone.
Connoway’s case is the only failed drug test that has been disclosed so far. We originally found out about Connoway after her teammate Michelle Merand took to Instagram on June 10. That announcement came before CrossFit publicly disclosed the situation.
Given the timing of that failed drug test and that it has been over two weeks later, it can be assumed that CrossFit has received all results from the Semifinals drug testing by now. Last year CrossFit did not announce most of the failed drug tests until July. Given that timing, we may still be several weeks away from finding out if any additional athletes tested positive for banned substances.Â
In 2022, CrossFit issued 25 sanctions to athletes for failed drug tests. All but three of those came from drug tests resulting from Semifinals competitions. Two came from the CrossFit Games and one was conducted in April.
