Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Ysaora Thibus, great hope for a medal in fencing, suspended after an abnormal anti-doping test

Ysaora Thibus a fini championne du monde individuelle en 2022. MAXPPP – Le Parisien/Arnaud Journois

Fencer Ysaora Thibus was provisionally suspended with immediate effect following an abnormal anti-doping control, the French Federation announced this Friday, February 9.

Individual world champion in 2022 and great hope for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Ysaora Thibus was suspended after an anti-doping test "produced an abnormal analysis result& quot; according to the French Federation. 

Leader of the French foil team, Ysaora Thibus "denies any intentional act of doping", after this control carried out on January 14 by the International Testing Agency (ITA), which acts on behalf of the International Fencing Federation (FIE).

A huge blow before the Olympic Games

"I deny with the greatest firmness that I have ever been administered the slightest doping substance. The negative results of the dozens of checks undergone this year, like all the others, bear witness to this", reacted the shooter in a press release released by her lawyer Joëlle Monlouis.

"At 169 days before the Olympic Games in Paris which constitute the dream of my life as a woman and as an athlete, everyone will understand that this information is of ;#39;first created in me and all those who ensure my preparation an effect of astonishment."

On the day of the test, Thibus participated in the Paris World Cup stage, qualifying for the Olympic Games, where the French team took second place behind Italy, result which ensured collective Olympic qualification for Les Bleues.

🔴 Communiqué : Ysaora Thibus provisoirement suspendue par la FIE pour résultat anormal d’analyse antidopagehttps://t.co/POFwvNRu6j

— Fédération Française d'Escrime (@ffescrime) February 9, 2024

The substance which led to this analysis result is not specified in either press release.

An abnormal analysis result following an anti-doping control during a competition indicates the presence of a prohibited substance in the samples of the athlete or sportswoman tested.

"Contacted by us, the shooter expressed her total incomprehension, her immense surprise and her dismay, she denied any intentional act of doping. It is now up to it to defend itself according to the measures it deems useful to take", indicated the French federation.

One of the biggest medal hopes

At 32, Thibus was one of the great medal chances of French fencing under the dome of the Grand Palais in Paris in just under six months for the Games Olympics.

Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo in teams in the summer of 2021, Thibus has collected podiums in major championships since 2012 and her first medal, team silver at the Championships of Europe.

Winner of several World Cup events, she was crowned individual world champion in the summer of 2022 in Cairo, after world silver in 2018 in Wuxi (China) and bronze in 2017 in Leipzig (Germany).

For French fencing, it is a huge blow with a club, Thibus being one of its heads. poster of the discipline for many years.

"With the help of my advice and experts we will analyze and seek to understand this incomprehensible result, s&# 39;it was confirmed", indicates Thibus.