Canadian curler Briane Harris can return to the ice immediately.
Nearly a year after testing positive for a banned substance she claims she was unknowingly exposed to through body contact, Harris won her appeal case.
It has been decided that she is without fault or negligence and that there will be no period of ineligibility.
“I can’t put into words how happy and relieved I feel right now,” Harris told CBC Sports. “I’ve been shaking all morning since I got the news I thought would never come. I’m exonerated and it feels incredibly incredible.
“I’m very excited to get back to playing the sport I love and I can’t wait to do it.”
Harris faced a suspension of up to four years.
In a lengthy Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling released early Tuesday, it was revealed that Harris was exposed to Ligandrol through the exchange of bodily fluids with her husband.
Ligandrol is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. It is used to increase energy and muscle growth.
The ruling states that she “was exposed to Ligandrol due to intimate contact with her husband during the period in which he was consuming the Crossfit Stack,” which contained Ligandrol.
Harris argued that she did not know that her husband was taking the substance and that she could not have known that intimate contact could have posed a risk of contamination.
In the end it was decided that the evidence showed that Harris took every possible precaution against contamination.
“She does not share food or drinks either within her home or in public places, ensuring the highest level of care to avoid contamination,” the document says.
“The athlete has fulfilled her duty of care by exercising reasonable caution. She could not have known or reasonably suspected her husband’s use of Ligandrol, nor was she aware of the potential risk of contamination.”
Harris has not been on the ice since he was notified of his doping violation on the eve of the Scotties in Calgary in February 2024. He has not been able to compete or train and was not allowed to interact with his coach or teammates on track. by Kerri Einarson.
His team was scheduled to begin play at the Grand Slam of Curling’s WFG Masters in Guelph, Ont., on Tuesday.
“With today’s announcement, we can confirm that Briane Harris is immediately eligible to participate in all Curling Canada events,” Curling Canada said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome him back to the competition and wish him the best in his future curling endeavours.”
’11 difficult months for all of us’
In a statement, the Einarson team said they were relieved to see Briane’s case resolved.
“It’s been a difficult 11 months for all of us not knowing what was going to happen, so we’re grateful that we can all move forward with some clarity.”
Team Einarson recently announced that Karlee Burgess would be joining the team after it was revealed that sophomore Shannon Birchard would be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Burgess is in the lineup at Guelph.
It’s still being decided when Harris might return to the lineup. The team released in their statement that they will use this week’s event in Guelph as a “dress rehearsal” for the Scots in February.
“Once this event is over, and after assessing where we are, we will sit down as a team to discuss further,” the statement said.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of Briane’s case. Most importantly, we are delighted that Briane can now move forward and join his team in the competition,” Harris’ attorneys, Amanda Fowler and Emir Crowne, said in a statement. release.
In late December, Harris revealed to CBC Sports that she is five months pregnant.
