CrossFit announced the first three sanctions stemming from failed drug tests this year. All three were from in-competition testing at the regional competitions. Two of the athletes were individual competitors while one was on a team.
The top ranked athlete was Gena Malkovsky from the Europe Regional. Hailing from Russia, Malkovsky finished 8th before testing positive for PEDs.
The three athletes who have been sanctioned (below) have all received a 4-year ban from CrossFit-sponsored competitions. The ban will run through June 21, 2022.
- Gena Malkovsky – Europe (Clomiphene, meldonium, and a metabolite of drostanolone)
- Megan Benzik – South (Epimentendiol, metabolites of methandienone and oxandrolone, epioxandrolone, methanol, a letrozole metabolie, and amphetamine)
- Carlos Castillo – Latin America team (LGD4033)
In CrossFit’s official statement, there are more athletes who have tested positive for PEDs, but their cases are still under appeal. We already know of a Games-qualified team, East Woodbridge, that will be disqualified.
Europe Regional competitor, Will Kane, has speculated that another athlete from the Europe Regional is appealing their testing.
Following CrossFit’s announcement, Benzik took to Instagram to talk about her sanction.
There is not a timetable on when CrossFit will announce any further sanctions, but given that this week’s announcement was for athletes not qualifying for the 2018 CrossFit Games that the next sanction(s) will impact Games-bound athletes.
Stay tuned!
