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Simmonds Found Not Guilty - But What Happens Next?

Simmonds Found Not Guilty - But What Happens Next?

An anti-doping acquittal, swimming muscles, and wake up your glutes!

Matthew Sharpe
October 28, 2025

TOGETHER WITH TRIHARD

Good morning everyone,

Today’s top story is about the anti-doping system, which I’ve worked within for many years. During much of my time competing on the World Triathlon circuit, I was in Canada’s registered testing pool of athletes.

This meant that every day, I had to provide a one-hour window where I would be available for testing. Every day, no excuses.

Was it tedious and sometimes annoying? Absolutely. But it was the price of competing at the highest level. And along with our whereabouts, we also had the responsibility of ensuring everything we put in our bodies was free of banned substances. Tedious, but necessary.

So why go through with all this trouble? “People are always going to be taking drugs to improve their performance.”

The main reason, in my opinion, to try and prevent athletes from taking these substances is that they are harmful. Ligandrol - featured in today’s newsletter - can disrupt hormones, damage the liver, and increase cancer risk.

And anabolic steroids - the classic example - were used extensively by the East German state-sponsored doping program. This resulted in heart disease, various cancers, and premature deaths.

I think it’s naive to believe sport will be completely drug-free. But if we can continue to invest in anti-doping enforcement and education, maybe we can ensure athletes thrive during their competitive years and beyond.

In today’s edition:

⚖️ Simmonds found not guilty - but what happens next?
🏊‍♀️ What muscles do you use for swimming? And why it matters!
🍑 And why you need to wake up your glutes!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

ONE BIG THING

Simmonds Found Not Guilty - But What Happens Next?

Challenge

What is it: In an Instagram post, professional triathlete Imogen Simmonds (SUI) revealed that the International Testing Agency (ITA) had rendered a “no guilt or negligence” verdict regarding an ADRV (anti-doping rule violation) from an out-of-competition doping control test conducted in December 2024.

This verdict immediately clears Simmonds to resume competition after being provisionally suspended since December 2024.

February fail: In February, the ITA released a statement revealing shocking news that Simmonds - an emerging star in the sport - had tested positive for the banned substance SARMS LGD-4033 (Ligandrol).

Ligandrol is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). It mimics the activity of testosterone in the body.

The infamous excuse: When the ITA statement was released, Simmonds responded with her own statement, where she revealed the likely cause of the positive test - the ingestion of bodily fluids during intimate relations with her partner.

Next steps: Although Simmonds did not directly indicate what her next race will be, the T100 contracted athlete stated,

“For now, I’d like to put this chapter behind me. It feels as if I have spent the past 9 months being haunted by this ordeal, and I’m finally able to breathe again.

What my plans and goals are for the future in this sport remain to be determined.”

Do you think AG and Pro doping is a big problem?

TOGETHER WITH TRIHARD

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FAVORITES

🏊‍♀️ Swimming muscles: Have you ever wondered what muscles you use while swimming? Turns out, most of them! But which ones are used for propulsion? And which ones are for stabilization? This video explains! [U.S. Masters Swimming]

🍑 Wake up your glutes: “The glutes are the powerhouses of running and cycling.” Yes, but only if they’re actually working! Make sure these key muscles aren’t asleep when you need them by doing this simple, but effective glute activation! [Dr. Rangan Chatterjee]

🏃‍♂️ Running through life: For many of us, running weaves an unpredictable and evolving thread through our lives. And in this moving essay, the author explains how running defined a chaotic and ever-changing relationship with his father. [The Atlantic]

🔗 Most clicked link: The most clicked link from our previous edition is an article on what causes muscle cramps, and what you can do to prevent them! [My Sports Science]

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

“I Believe This is The Best Triathlon Podcast Ever”

“Jeff and Matt provide two different perspectives. Both are highly engaging, personable, and knowledgeable.

I’ve been in Triathlon for 4+ decades and follow the sport passionately. The podcast hits the spot with a variety of topics from recent science to race previews and reviews, to triathlon current news.

Never boring, always engaging. Five stars for sure!”

Are you ready to be informed AND entertained? Then check out the latest episode of the Tempo Talks podcast on Apple and Spotify!

REEL TIME

Spooky! 🎃😂

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QUICK NEWS

Big buy: Zoot - a major triathlon apparel brand - has acquired Tailwind Brands GmbH, its European distributor for more than a decade, for an undisclosed sum. [Fashion Network]

Coast hosts: The Mississippi Gulf Coast has been announced as the host of the 2026 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships! [WTVA]

Yes, chef: Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey completed his latest 70.3. But this time - his family raced alongside him - and his wife even qualified for the 2026 70.3 World Champs! [TRI247]

Wicklow wins: It was an unprecedented 2025 for the Wicklow Triathlon Club as they became the only club in Ireland to podium in all three categories: men’s, women’s, and mixed. [Independent]