Houlihan banned for four years, blames positive test on burrito

PARIS: US middle-distance runner Shelby Houlihan announced Tuesday that she had been suspended for four years after testing positive for anabolic steroid nandrolone, something she blamed on a pre-test pork burrito.

“I want to be very clear. I have never taken any performance enhancing substances,” said Houlihan, the US record holder in the 1500m and 5,000m, adding that she had “never even heard” of nandrolone.

“I have since learned that it has long been understood by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) that eating pork can lead to a false positive for nandrolone, since certain types of pigs produce it naturally in high amounts. Pig organ meat (offal) has the highest levels of nandrolone,” she said on social media.

“In the following five days after being notified, I put together a food log of everything that I consumed the week of that December 15th test.

“We concluded that the most likely explanation was a burrito purchased and consumed approximately 10 hours before that drug test from an authentic Mexican food truck that serves pig offal near my house in Beaverton, Oregon.

“I notified the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) that I believed this was the source.”

The AIU, track and field’s independent anti-doping watchdog, notified Houlihan of the positive test in January, triggering a provisional suspension.