Curler Briane Harris Receives 4-Year Suspension for Testing Positive for Banned Substance

Canadian curler Briane Harris, a four-time women’s curling champion, is facing a potentially devastating setback after receiving a four-year suspension for testing positive for the banned substance Ligandrol.

However, Harris, hailing from Winnipeg, has vowed to appeal the ban, asserting that she was unknowingly exposed to the substance through bodily contact.

The World Curling Federation, while not naming Harris specifically, confirmed that an athlete in their testing pool had tested positive and subsequently been provisionally suspended.

Harris, who serves as the lead for Team Einarson, was declared ineligible just hours before the opening game of last month’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where her team was the defending champion.

Expressing shock and devastation at the positive test result, Harris emphasized that she does not take any supplements and was incredulous that such an incident could occur.

She lamented missing out on the opportunity to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and vowed to resolve the matter swiftly to safeguard her Olympic aspirations.

Ligandrol, the banned substance in question, is known for its purported ability to enhance energy and muscle growth.

Harris, who maintains her innocence, was tested on January 24, 2024, and informed of the positive result on February 15. S ubsequent testing of the B sample confirmed the initial findings.

While Harris has not provided further details on her claim of unknowing exposure, her legal representatives, Amanda Fowler and Dr. Emir Crowne, assert that the silence from both Harris and Curling Canada since the suspension was warranted as the matter unfolds.