Olympic Hopeful Sues Gatorade Over Doping Ban

Issamade Asinga is suing the company after being given a supply of Gatorade Recovery Gummies before a banned substance was discovered

An Olympic hopeful banned after ingesting “recovery gummies” made by Gatorade is suing the company that labeled the product “NSF Certified for Sport.”

According to Reuters, Surinamese sprinter Issamade Asinga filed a lawsuit against Gatorade on July 10, alleging his doping ban was caused by the contaminated “recovery gummies” manufactured by the company. In May, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) suspended Asinga for four years after the detection of cardarine, a performance-enhancing drug. Inside Bodybuilding has reported that The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has cardarine on its list of prohibited substances.

The suspension stripped Asinga of his two South American Championship gold medals and his under-20 100-meter world record.

The paperwork was filed in Manhattan federal court. The sprinter claims Gatorade provided the gummies to him a year ago. The packaging claimed the product was “NSF Certified for Sport” and, therefore, free from banned substances. The suit claims that the gummies lacked NSF certification and “had been made using shoddy manufacturing processes and were contaminated with trace amounts of an illegal performance-enhancing drug.”

The sports drink company provided a statement to the media outlet.

“The product in question is completely safe and the claims made are false. Gatorade products are FDA compliant and safe for athlete consumption, which was validated by the findings of the Athletics Integrity Unit investigation.”

“Gatorade fully complied with the Athletics Integrity Unit investigation, including producing evidence that was accepted by the AIU that the gummies were not contaminated with the banned substance in their original ruling.”

The Washington Post reported that Gatorade honored Asinga as its high school track and field athlete of the year last July. He was given a gift basket that included Gatorade Recovery Gummies. Asinga alleges that the product is the reason he tested positive for the banned substance. He also accused the company of taking measures to protect its reputation while damaging his reputation in the process.

Asinga is attempting to “recoup the millions of dollars he has lost in economic opportunities, as well as compensation for the devastating emotional harm he has suffered.”

The teenager believes his performance at the Olympics could have yielded large monetary gains by way of sponsorships. His ban effectively stops his future opportunities in the sport.

“You’re either guilty or you’re not,” Asinga said in a Zoom interview. “I know I’m not, so I’ve got to chase my dream. I’ve got two Olympian parents; I was born to run. Am I going to destroy my dream because of something I didn’t do, or am I going to keep fighting until the end?”