The WBC recently announced it had no evidence to suggest Alycia Baumgardner knowingly took an illegal substance. Notably, Baumgardner is also no longer under a temporary suspension from the Association of Boxing Commissions.
A quick review: On July 12, three days before Baumgardner avenged her lone career loss to Christina Linardatou, she took a test from Drug Free Sport. The test came back indicating the presence of mesterolone and methenolone acetate metabolites, both banned substances.
Since the beginning, Baumgardner pleaded her innocence. Although she hasn’t fought since July, she has recently been training with Bill Haney and doing mitt work with assistant coach Ramon Matthews in at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas.
The WBC ordered Baumgardner to do random drug testing with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association until her suspension ends on July 12, 2024.
Meanwhile, Victor Conte has opinions about how Baumgardner might have registered a positive test. The shamed figure at the center of the early-2000s BALCO scandal performance-enhancing scandal in the early 2000s, who in recent years has resurfaced as an anti-doping advocate, recently spoke to Boxing Scene about Baumgardner’s case.
“So I don’t know the history,” Conte said. “You can take a supplement that has been contaminated during manufacturing and come up with a positive test. You wouldn’t have intent to cheat.”
Conte, who wasn’t involved in Baumgardner’s testing or in any subsequent investigations, says contamination of a supplement can happen in “a number of different ways.”
“For example, someone who is using stuff could walk up and put their hand on you and touch you, and you can get the transfer through the skin. You can get a positive test, as we know from the Virginia Fuchs case in Texas – the female boxer – from having unprotected sex.”
In any case, Conte believes the WBC and Association of Boxing Commissions could have handled Baumgardner’s situation with more care.
“I think there was a lot of misinformation that was put out there,” he said.
