Bahamian swimmer Joanna Evans suspended for doping

Bahamian swimmer Joanna Evans was banned by the World Aquatics Doping Panel from competing at international events for two years.

She was accused of using Trofodermin, which contains the weak anabolic–androgenic steroid called Clostebol, according to reports

The Aquatics Integrity Unit’s website said Evans 25 was “retroactively suspended from February 14, 2022, and she will not be able to compete until that date in 2024”.

Evans said in a statement on Instagram that she did not take the banned substance intentionally.

She said she bought a tube of Trofodermin after being injured while competing in Italy.

“I cut my finger on a jagged, rusty balcony at the hotel where I was staying. Concerned about infection, I walked to the local pharmacy and asked for an antibiotic cream. I was given a tube of Trofodermin, which I believed was similar to the antibiotic Neomycin (better known as Neosporin). Unknown to me at the time, an ingredient of Trofodermin is the banned substance clostebol. I had no idea that a topical antibiotic cream could contain a banned substance and I had never heard of clostebol. I used the cream for three days,”

“When I returned to Austin, Texas on October 30th, 2021, I slipped on a concrete pavement and sustained a substantial gash on my knee. I used the same cream I procured in Italy to assist with emergency healing, but this time the injury was much worse. I used the cream for five days then once or twice a week until the end of November.

She said “Anyone who knows me, knows without hesitation that I would never, ever intentionally take a banned substance. The results show an unfathomable low amount of a substance which absolutely could not have enhanced my performance.”

Adding, “I would never cheat and I take pride in representing my country, college, family, friends and community to the best of my ability. I have a history of dozens of clean tests and conduct myself with integrity in all aspects of my life. I consider myself to be a humble ambassador for my country and my sport. I find it incredulous that a minuscule amount of a banned substance applied unknowingly through a topical cream can have such life-altering consequences,”

Evans, competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and was described by many as one of The Bahamas’ flagbearers at the 2020 Tokyo Games.