Canadian canoe champ vows to clear name after positive drugs test

MONTREAL: Canadian canoe world champion Laurence Vincent-Lapointe says she will not abandon her Olympic dream as she faces provisional suspension in the wake of a failed drugs test.

In an emotional press conference in Montreal on Tuesday, the 11-time world champion in canoe sprint said she had “no idea” how the muscle builder Ligandrol got into her system. “I just cannot believe it. It’s been a nightmare,” she said.

The International Canoe Federation announced the temporary suspension of Vincent-Lapointe, who will not compete in the canoe sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary. But Vincent-Lapointe, who has won six world titles in the C1-200m, four in the C2-500m and one in the C1-5000m, said she still harbors hope that she can clear her name and compete in Tokyo. “I’m not going to abandon that dream,” she said.