The last few days have been a huge emotional rollercoaster for Dorota Borowska. On Monday, news arrived about a positive doping test result and the temporary suspension of the decorated kayaker, which – given the imminent start of the Olympics – made her chances of competing in Paris seem slim. Two days later, however, there was a glimmer of light. Now, the decision of the International Testing Agency (ITA), which is handling the case, to allow the Polish athlete to compete, which was her great dream, seems real.
Documentation and research in Strasbourg. Lifting the temporary suspension does not end the case
The test, which was performed on June 27, showed the presence of clostebol in Borowska. It's an anabolic steroid, and the consequences for being caught using it are severe.. More mildly, when it comes to the unintentional use of a prohibited substance, and this has been assured from the beginning by, among others, the two-time bronze medalist of the world championships in the C1 200 m competition, the European champion and winner of the 2023 European Games, and the two-time vice-world champion C2-200 m.
The fact that the 28-year-old Pole may be able to compete in Paris was first reported on Wednesday by TVP Sport journalist Filip Czyszanowski on portal X. He mentioned that an ITA meeting was scheduled for July 27, and the titled kayaker will try to prove that clostebol entered her body through… a dog ointment.
– I only know the case second-hand, from Dorota's attorney, who had an online meeting with ITA representatives today. They accepted the presented explanation – also taking into account the specificity and small amount of the detected substance – as very probable. Dorota must submit full documentation by July 20, and then go to Strasbourg for tests with her dog and check all indicators – Grzegorz Kotowicz, president of the Polish Canoe Association, tells Sport.pl.
As he assures, based on these tests alone, a decision may be made to lift the provisional suspension, without waiting for the aforementioned meeting. The head of the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, Michał Rynkowski, in turn, points out that obtaining a decision in this case is a challenge due to the proximity of the start date of the games.
– If the athlete is able to present serious arguments confirming that the banned substance she was found to have in her body was unintentional, there is an option for the ITA to expedite the consideration of lifting the provisional suspension. Lifting the provisional suspension will be enough for the athlete to be able to compete in the Games, and the final decision in the case will be made at a later date – Rynkowski emphasizes in an interview with Sport.pl.
In 2016, clostebol was detected during a doping test on the famous cross-country skier Therese Johaug. She also claimed that she had not taken it consciously and showed that the banned substance was in the composition of the ointment she used to treat her lips. The team doctor took responsibility, but Johaug was eventually banned for 18 months for ignoring the warning about the composition of the drug on the packaging.
Dog at the center of a doping scandal
And why was a dog at the center of the doping scandal and Borowska's drama? As Kotowicz tells it, the animal accompanied the kayaker during a training camp in Italy and scraped its paws there. The kayaker took it to the vet and then rubbed the prescribed ointment on the animal.
– When we were wondering and consulting about how clostebol could have ended up in Dorota's body, it turned out that it was the only possible option – recalls the head of the national federation.
He does not hide the fact that Wednesday's meeting with ITA representatives is a light at the end of the tunnel for him in the context of Borowska's chances to compete in the Paris Games. Three years ago in Tokyo, she finished just off the podium, missing a medal by 0.08 seconds.
– As the Polish Canoe Association, we are against the use of doping. But we stand behind our competitors and we believe that in Dorota's case, the truth that she did not take it consciously will be proven – assures Kotowicz.
The C1-200m competition in the French capital will begin on August 7, with the C2-500m competition starting the day before. According to the original plan, Borowska was supposed to go there on August 3.