Athletes Get New Advice: Avoid One-Night Stands

Experts Warn: Protect Your Privacy

Athletes should think twice before engaging in casual sexual encounters. At a conference in London, anti-doping experts warned that even a single kiss could result in a positive doping test if substances are unintentionally transferred from a partner.

The experts are now calling for updated rules that better distinguish between intentional cheating and contamination.

Strict Liability – Even for Transmission

Until WADA’s rulebook is changed, the principle of “strict liability” applies.

This means that athletes are held responsible — even if they were unaware of the substance.

And if they can’t prove how the substance entered their body, the consequences can be severe.

Cases That Sparked Debate

According to The Times, tennis player Richard Gasquet was acquitted in 2009 when it was accepted that the trace of cocaine in his body came from a kiss in a nightclub.

A more recent case from 2020 involved American boxer Virginia Fuchs, who was also cleared after proving substance transfer from her partner.

Until the Rules Change…

Experts emphasize the need for greater flexibility in the regulations.

But for now, athletes are strongly advised to be extremely cautious with intimate encounters — because even an innocent evening could lead to suspicion of doping.

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