Earlier this week, CrossFit announced that two Masters athletes failed in-competition drug tests stemming from the 2018 CrossFit Games. Shawn Ramirez (40-44 division) and Kelli Holm (35-39 division) both tested positive for metabolites of GW1516, also referred to as endurabol. Endurabol is the same substance Ricky Garard tested positive for in 2017. Ramirez also tested positive for ostarine.
Ramirez finished 2nd in the Men’s 40-44 division and Holm finished 4th in the Women’s 35-39 division.
Ramirez was suspended from CrossFit-sanctioned events for four years with his suspension ending in September 2022. Holm’s suspension was reduced to two years following an appeals process. Her suspension ends September 2020.
Following the announcement by CrossFit, Ramirez took to Instagram to address the situation. Ramirez begins with, “For those of you that know me, the character driven man I am, father, husband and LOYAL friend, this is for you. You know me well enough that I would NEVER take anything to jeopardize everything I worked so hard to achieve these last 5 years.”
Ramirez said that “the amounts they found were so small 0.02 ng/ml (20 trillionths of a gram) and 0.3ng/ml, which were provided by CrossFit upon request. The only thing that makes any sense is that there was a contaminated substance that I was taking.”
Ramirez is personally paying for his own testing of the supplements he uses and sad, ” I have nothing to hide, and will release the findings of my testing as soon as early next week.”
Kelli Holm also issued a response on Instagram. Holm, like Ramirez, was surprised to find out she tested positive for a banned substance. Upon learning she had failed a drug test Holm said, “I was completely shocked and confused. I have never taken a banned substance of any kind.”
The amount in Holm’s system was low as well. Holm commented, “The substance found was 0.02ng/mL (20 trillionths of a gram) of ‘a metabolite of GW1516’.”
After testing the supplements she uses it was found that a well-known pre-workout supplement was to blame. The product, however, is not third-party tested and Holm has been advised to not disclose the product to her fans. Holm said, “…one of those supplements (a common and well-known pre-workout powder) proved to be contaminated with GW1516 (I have been advised not to name the brand at this time). Crossfit has acknowledged that the supplement was indeed contaminated, however because this product was not third-party tested, they are holding me responsible for ingesting the unlisted ingredient.”
