Two Teams Disqualified From 2017 CrossFit Games for Failed Drug Tests

We mentioned earlier this afternoon that Ryan Elrod failed a drug test. Now news has come out that two teams will also be banned from the 2017 CrossFit Games.

CrossFit Marysville and Bear Republic CrossFit will miss the Games after a member of their team failed a drug test at the conclusion of the regional competition. Nick Thomas of CrossFit Marysville tested positive for ostarine while OJ Washington of Bear Republic CrossFit tested positive for methylhexaneamine.

Washington took to social media and said that he took an over-the-counter pre-workout supplement that contained the banned substance on the Friday of regional competition.

I never thought I’d be someone writing something like this…but here I am. At this past regionals I didn’t scrub the ingredients list and took a preworkout that Friday morning that contained methylhexanamine which is a banned substance/stimulant when competing at Crossfit sanctioned events. A preworkout powder you can get at any nutrition shop in any town. It was listed as a different name on the labeling but that doesn’t matter, I didn’t do my due diligence and research the product I was putting into my body. I was completely shocked sitting at work going about my normal day when this email pops into my inbox, I must’ve read and re-read it 100 times thinking this had to have been a mistake. I can’t be mad or cast blame on anyone else, this is completely my fault. As an athlete competing at this level I should’ve known better and I accept 100% responsibility. I was in no way trying to create an advantage or cheat the system, I simply didn’t look at everything on the packaging label. Some ingredients may be listed as a different name but they still may be a banned substance or in the same family of said banned substances. Regional athletes need to know everything they’re putting in their bodies, no excuses. Due to my oversight Bear Republic Crossfit will not be competing at the Crossfit Games this year. It’s extremely frustrating to have your season wiped out not because of a masking agent, hormone blocker, pro-hormones, SARMs, andro, steroids, T, or HGH, but because of a simple preworkout powder…but the rules are the rules and I broke them. To go from the highest of highs qualifying for the Crossfit Games to the lowest of lows is humbling to say the least. I wholeheartedly apologize to the Bear Republic community, supporters, sponsors, but most importantly the teammates I let down.

A post shared by OJ Washington (@oj_washington) on Jul 21, 2017 at 3:19pm PDT

Both athletes have been suspended for a period of two years and their teams have been disqualified from competing at this year’s CrossFit Games.

Here is CrossFit’s official announcement and an Update Studio segment by Sean Woodland: