Olympian Katerina Nash Avoids 4-Year Doping Ban; Positive Test Caused by Dog Medicine

The Czech Republic's Katerina Nash, a three-time Olympic mountain biker and two-time Olympic cross-country skier, had a positive doping test exonerated and a four-year sanction overturned after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency determined that the banned substance found in her system was a dog medication that came into contact with her skin while she attempted to give her furry friend, a Viszla named Rubi, drops of the liquid orally.

"It's devastating to think that, like, not washing my hands could ruin my entire career, being an athlete for 30 years," she told Eddie Pells of the Associated Press. "But there's no regrets. I would not have cared for my dog in any different way. But in the end, I was touching this medicine every day for about three straight weeks."

USADA's scientists first identified the substance that caused the positive test as Entyce, which is given to sick dogs as an appetite booster, then applied small amounts to their own skin to see if they registered positive tests. When they did, Nash's positive test was overturned and her punishment was retracted.

"The challenge with anti-doping is that the sensitivity has gotten so good that now we've got this overlap between what's doping and what's exposure in the environment that you may be subjected to as an athlete," USADA's lead scientist, Dr. Matt Fedoruk, told Pells.

So athletes who may come into contact with medications for their pets should maybe wear gloves. The testing protocols have become incredibly sophisticated and sensitive.