So regarding Jessica Calalang, my understanding is that she wasn’t cleared because it was a cosmetic. She was cleared because the substance was ultimately removed from the banned list. There was already a process under way to remove this drug from the list before she was suspended and she became part of the process in while fighting to be cleared. Once the decision was made to remove then she was no longer suspended. But had this substance remained banned then it was irrelevant that it was in make-up and that she didn’t know. She was considered to be fully responsible and would have served her entire suspension.
Am I wrong?
“At the end of June, her attorney, Howard Jacobs, notified Calalang about potential changes in rules regarding 4-CPA to be voted on at the end of September. If those regulations passed, it would likely result in no violation for her. And USADA suggested she remain in the case until then. In return, USADA offered to lift her provisional suspension, allowing Calalang to compete and receive funding immediately.”
Honestly how would someone prove whether it was the real substance or something that just ‘metabolized like it’?
If you read further it sounds like the suspension was lifted because of changes regarding the banned substance, not because she was able to prove it was cosmetic.
You are wrong as to what happened to Calalang.
Calalang tested positive for the *metabolite* 4-CPA -- which can originate both from the *non-prohibited* cosmetic ingredient chlorphenesin and from the *banned* substance meclofenoxate.
The sample was taken at U.S. Nationals in January 2021.
The unfortunate circumstance for Calalang was/is that it was not until after she tested positive for the metabolite that WADA figured out that there could be an innocent source of the metabolite.
USADA's praise for Jessica in October 2021 article (emphases added):
" A USADA spokesperson told insidethegames that Calalang had done "everything right" and hoped this "horrible" situation would not happen again following changes to WADA's rules.
"We thoroughly investigated the case and other similar ones reported earlier this year," said USADA.
"Our science team determined the innocent source of the laboratory finding and we determined there was no rule violation, which was confirmed by WADA.
"WADA’s new laboratory processes will ensure this horrible circumstance does not impact athletes going forward.
"We would like to thank Ms Calalang for doing everything right and for her cooperation and truthfulness during this trying situation and are glad the truth was determined." "
The above is an excerpt from:
American figure skater Jessica Calalang admitted she felt "absolutely helpless" at times as she battled to prove her innocence after being hit with a...
www.insidethegames.biz
From new research reported in August 2021 in the scientific literature (emphases added):
"4-CPA is a common metabolite of meclofenoxate, chlorphenesin, and chlorphenesin carbamate.
Monitoring the diagnostic urinary metabolites of chlorphenesin provides conclusive supporting evidence of whether chlorphenesin or the prohibited nootropic meclofenoxate was administered."
4-CPA is a common metabolite of meclofenoxate, chlorphenesin, and chlorphenesin carbamate. Monitoring the diagnostic urinary metabolites of chlorphenesin provides conclusive supporting evidence of whether chlorphenesin or the prohibited nootropic meclofenoxate was administered.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
From the full paper (emphasis added):
"... the present investigation contributes to identifying
new sources of 4-CPA, namely common dermally applied cosmetics, lotions, and sunscreens, which has been a biomarker for the assessment of prohibited drug use in sports as well as herbicide exposure, and will support, in particular, sports drug testing and management protocol results."
https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/rcm.9183
WADA now is aware that a positive test for the metabolite 4-CPA is not sufficient to make a finding of the banned substance
meclofexonate meclofenoxate -- and that additional testing is necessary to determine whether the source of 4-CPA in fact is the non-prohibited chlorphenesin.
From WADA's Technical Letter from November 2021:
Before reporting a result as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for meclofenoxate, Laboratories shall exclude the consumption of 4-CPA contaminated food and/or exposure to chlorphenesin-containing products or chlorphenesin carbamate as the origin of the finding ...
In order to probe for the presence of chlorphenesin or chlorphenesin carbamate-derived Metabolites in urine Samples, which provides evidence for a permitted source of 4-CPA, both GC-MS(/MS) as well as LC-MS(/MS) are applicable Analytical Methods. ...
... Also I think they're pretty harsh about "doping" accidentally or no. Jessica Calalang and partner missed out on Worlds because of a lip balm with a banned ingredient in it, I'm pretty sure the amount wasn't even performance enhancing but because it CAN be used that way no amount is allowed. ...
Just want to reiterate that the ingredient in Calalang's cosmetic product was not the banned substance meclofenoxate.
It was chlorphenesin, which is not prohibited.
