Evans Issues A Statement On Her Four-Year Ban

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Joanna Evans

Bahamian Olympic swimmer Joanna Evans has been vocal about her recent ordeal with the World Anti-Doping Agency and issued a statement to bring the public up to date on the process she has called a “nightmare.”

Evans took to social media yesterday to voice her claims of mistreatment by WADA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In April 2023, Evans initially received a two-year doping suspension from World Aquatics following a positive test for clostebol. She appealed the suspension with CAS, but after the last hearing in October, her ban was increased to four years.

Following her collegiate career at Texas, Evans swam for three seasons in the International Swimming League.

She said she bought the cream “Trofodermin” to treat a cut on her finger suffered in September 2021 while competing in the ISL in Naples, Italy.

She again used the cream in October 2022 to the end of November to treat an abrasion on her knee back in Austin, Texas.

Evans, who competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and was one of The Bahamas’ flagbearers at the 2020 Tokyo Games, also had her results from September 11, 2021, to December 16, 2022, revoked.

In her statement, she said the decision has effectively ruined her career and sullied her reputation.

“At the onset, I refused the offer of a three-year ban to admit I intentionally doped, I would never admit to something I did not do, regardless of the consequences. I did everything within my power to prove that my use of a banned substance was accidental and unintentional,” she said in the statement, “I fought for the truth and to defend my integrity and the reputation of Bahamas Aquatics. I was stunned at the cruel irony with which I was rewarded for my full transparency and naive honesty.”

She has also been ordered to pay a contribution to WADA’s legal fees incurred during the case.

The statement continued:

“Simply put, the truth was overlooked, my personal reputation has been damaged, my career has been destroyed, I am emotionally shattered and facing a financial crisis.”

WNBA

Jonquel Jones is set to begin her highly anticipated second season with the New York Liberty tonight as the WNBA season tips off.

When JJ and the Liberty face off with the Washington Mystics, it will be a matchup of familiar foes.

It’s a rematch of the 2023 season opener and a rematch of last year’s first round playoff series.

The Mystics pulled off the upset in the regular season, but the Liberty came out on top in the playoffs with a 2-0 sweep.

Since then, New York’s star-studded roster is expected to return to the WNBA finals, while the Mystics are in a rebuild.

The Liberty are led by JJ – a former NBA MVP, Breanna.