Tayane Porfírio caught in drug test, suspended for 4 years — read her statement

10 May, 2019

Tayane following a 2018 Worlds final. IBJJF

The women’s sitting absolute world champion, Tayane Porfírio, is out of this year’s Worlds, and for an unexpected reason. The athlete has revealed on social media that she was caught in a doping test by the USADA performed during the 2018 Worlds, and that she signed a four-year suspension.

According to the official statement published by her, the substance found was Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid of androgenic properties. The IBJJF has yet to speak on the case, but going by its behavior in similar cases, Tayane is likely to lose both her ultra-heavy and absolute titles.

What follows is Graciemag’s translation of the statement published by Tayane.

After almost a year – a very tough year, a year of lots of darkness, disappointment and frustration, writing dozens of texts thinking of how to say this and what people would say, how they would judge – today I had the strength to write…

Last year I was notified by the USADA, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, for the supposed use of a substance I didn’t even know what it was: Nandrolone. The substance appeared to be present in samples collected during the 2018 IBJJF Worlds.

Upon being notified, I didn’t know what to do. I started listing everything I took during the treatment of the lesion to my spine, which happened in 2017 – and widely published by the specialized media. Thinking that maybe some medication could be contaminated or could contain “Nandrolone,” I did research on this substance on the internet and found out that it’s an anabolic steroid. It’s not testosterone per se, but derived from it.

None of the medications or treatments prescribed by my doctor in the course of the treatment proved to have “Nandrolone.” The only explanation that my team and I arrived at was an unfortunate swapping of bottles at the pharmacy. An explanation the USADA did not accept.

Since 2016 I have been banned from one federation for exceeding the category’s top weight of 90 kg. I am invariably the biggest and heaviest athlete in every championship I take part in. If not even to beat bullying or to compete for robust prize money did I ever use any illegal substance, I wouldn’t start after a year where even injured I dominated the competitive scene – a year where I also tested clean every time I was examined.

Those who know me up close know the humble conditions I live in. Despite being a multichampion, titles that don’t translate to material riches, I still reside, in Brazil, in my dear Muzema favela. My community which suffers from crime, from fear and, more recently, from the tragedies we saw in the paper, a very important factor in my decision to come to London for a shot at a better life for me and my family.

Throughout this year of process, I never really had a chance. I could have witnessed the opening of the bottles with my samples, but I didn’t have the resources to return to California, after the Worlds, just for this.

At no point was I offered the right to an attorney. Were it not for my manager, who is also a lawyer, I wouldn’t have had any defense whatsoever. Everybody knows the cost of a procedure like this, especially in the United States, and Dr. Migon defended me at no cost for this entire time.

I had in my hands a ten-page document of accusation, in English – a language I only started studying in mid-2018. Even so, I cooperated from the first minute with the USADA, giving them access not only to my doctors, but also my hospital history, exams and list of medications/supplements. It was not enough for them.

And finally now, 12 months later, I decided to sign the document and accept the four-year punishment. But I won’t stop fighting for what is right.

I am immensely thankful for the support of all those who were and are by my side to this day, through the hard times and the even worse ones. This is not the end for me, but only a hurdle, which with lots of faith and strength I will also overcome.

Today I thank God for everything I’ve been through, for putting people in my life who helped me see that I’ve won many titles, medals, victories, trophies, but for a brief moment I was missing the ability to hear His voice! “GOD”

I am racing my race, the race God has for me.

I found out that God will not expose us without training us first.