CANADIAN pole vaulter Shawn Barber tested positive for cocaine – but escaped a lengthy ban because he claimed he ingested it after a romp.
World champion Barber met a woman off Craigslist before the Rio Olympics after she responded to an ad of his.
Although Barber, 22, had no idea she had taken the drug before their rendezvous, he was shocked when he failed a standard doping control drugs test after the Canadian Championships.
With the prospect of a four-year ban looming, investigators eventually cleared the pole vaulter two days before the start of Rio.
His post to the ‘Casual Encounters’ section of Craigslist read that he wanted to meet a woman who was drug-free and the purpose of his post was to ‘find a partner for the week or weekend’.
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The report claimed that the woman had testified to taking cocaine on the way there before having sex with Barber.
Barber was “unaware that she had snorted cocaine” and he ingested the drug after kissing her.
He was favourite to win a medal in Rio but the allegations may have taken their toll after he finished a disappointing 10th.
Barber escaped a ban but had his Canadian pole vault title taken off him.
The dispute resolution report said that he arranged to meet a woman and another man in a hotel room – and she testified to taking cocaine before meeting him, without his prior knowledge.
It said: “On or about July 8, 2016, the day before he was to compete at the Canadian Championships and Rio selection trials in Edmonton, Alberta, Mr Barber posted in the “casual encounter” section of Craigslist, an online service. He used a pseudonym.
“He specified in his post that he wanted to meet a woman who was drug-free and disease-free.
“He also indicated that the purpose of his post was to ‘find a partner for the week or weekend’ as ‘a way to relieve stress.’
“He acknowledged under cross-examination that his purpose was to have a ‘sexual encounter of some sort’ if all went well.
“He stayed away from bars and clubs because of their association with drugs and alcohol.
“His evidence was that he didn’t realise there was any potential to ingest drugs by kissing ‘W’ (the woman). He added that he relied upon his judgment in meeting her and chatting in determining that she was drug-free.
“It turned out that he was wrong. It was the first time that he’d done such a thing.”
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