5 More Athletes in Breach of CrossFit’s Drug Policy, Including a 4x Games Champion

Last night, CrossFit announced an additional five athletes in violation of its drug policy – increasing this year’s list of Regional or Games athletes in violation to 19. Last night’s announcement included CrossFit Games athletes Shawn Ramirez, 44, and Kelli Holm 36, as well as Regional athletes Fabio Botteghi, 32, Vivian Bomfim, 33, and André Sanchez, 30.

Ramirez, who took second place in the men’s master’s 40-44 division, will be stripped of his medal and slapped with a 4-year competition ban. The medal will presumably go to third-place finisher David Levey, moving fourth-place finisher Jason Grubb on to the podium as well. Ramirez, who has dominated the division the past five years, taking first place 2014-2017, expressed his disbelief regarding the violation on his Instagram account.

“I would NEVER take anything to jeopardize everything I worked so hard to achieve these last 5 years,” Ramirez said. “The only thing that makes any sense is that there was a contaminated substance that I was taking… All the products I was taking are 100% natural and I haven’t changed anything for 5 years. We have a saying, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I am personally paying out of my pocket to continue my appeal, and have all the 8 products I was taking tested.”

Here’s the full post:

View this post on Instagram

#tbt with my Boys. For those of you that know me, the character driven man I am, father, husband and LOYAL friend, this is for you. You know me well enough that I would NEVER take anything to jeopardize everything I worked so hard to achieve these last 5 years. Which, as you and the world knows, after all my podium finishes, I was immediately tested and always tested clean. When CF notified me that I tested positive for GW1516 and Ostarine, I was floored! I have been in constant communication with CF and was really taken back when they released the findings. The amounts they found were so small 0.02 ng/ml (20 trillionths of a gram) and 0.3ng/ml, which were provided by CrossFit upon request. The only thing that makes any sense is that there was a contaminated substance that I was taking. This unfortunately is happening more often than not to other professional athletes, MMA fighters, Olympians, where these companies are spiking their natural products to sell more and have more effects. All the products I was taking are 100% natural and I haven't changed anything for 5 years. We have a saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I am personally paying out of my pocket to continue my appeal, and have all the 8 products I was taking tested. I will disclose all of these, which I already did to CF which they stated were all legal and be 100% transparent with everyone this week. I have nothing to hide, I only wish CF would have granted me the time to finish testing all the products before they released the trace findings. I'm more hurt than anything because I have dedicated 10 years of my Life to this Sport and did not expect, this in return & to go out like this. To ALL of you that know me, follow me, believe in me and shown all the LOVE over the past decade, Thank You for your Support and I WILL get through this. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. ??

A post shared by Shawn C. Ramirez (@shawn_theram) on Nov 7, 2018 at 7:39pm PST

Ramirez, as well as Holm and Botteghi, tested positive for metabolites of GW1516, or Endurobol. Ring a bell? This is the same substance Ricky Garard got popped for last year.

Ramirez also tested positive for Ostarine, an anabolic agent. Bomfim tested positive for stanozolol metabolite and Sanchez for epimentendiol, methandienone, Ostarine and LGD4033, or Ligandrol.

According to the CrossFit Games website, Holm, who finished fourth in the women’s master’s 35-39 division, previously received a 4-year sanction, but it was reduced to two years after the appeals process.

Any CrossFit athlete notified of a banned substance violation has the right to appeal before any sanctions are imposed. They have 72 hours following the notification to provide written intent for an appeal. Read more on the process here.

Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc