Paralympic medallist Daphne Schrager has been banned for two years after testing positive for the banned substance Ligandrol, which is used to build muscle and bone mass. Schrager, who won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, maintains she has never cheated and attributes the positive test to unintentional environmental contamination.
The ban has been backdated to June 2, 2025, and will conclude on June 1, 2027. This ruling means Schrager will be ineligible for the upcoming Commonwealth Games but could still be eligible for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
The substance was detected in an out-of-competition test conducted last year. Schrager presented arguments to the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) suggesting potential contamination from a gym where she received a massage or from a shared living space. However, the NADP tribunal found that while Schrager did not intentionally ingest the banned substance, she did not provide sufficient proof of inadvertent environmental contamination.
In a statement on Instagram, Schrager detailed her efforts to prove her innocence, including hair and nail analysis. She stated that the minute trace of Ligandrol found in her system, measured at 0.0006ng, would not have offered any performance advantage, and consequently, none of her previous results have been disqualified.
Schrager expressed distress over the process, noting the difficulty in definitively proving the source of contamination within the timeframe and certainty required by anti-doping rules. She highlighted the significant personal and professional impact of the suspension, including the loss of her contract and team structure, which has affected her mental health.
Despite the challenges, Schrager, who has cerebral palsy, has vowed to return to competition in 2027. She earned Team GB's first medal of the 2024 Paralympics with a silver in the women's C1-3 3000m individual pursuit and subsequently won two gold medals at the Para-cycling Road World Cup in May 2025.