Former Team GB rider Lizzy Banks says she was left contemplating suicide as she battled to clear her name after testing positive for banned substances.
The 33-year-old athlete made an emotional appearance in BBC Radio 4 woman’s hour this week to talk about ten months of “absolute hell” he says he endured after being told he had tested positive for doping in July 2023.
Informed she could face a two-year ban, Banks launched her own grueling investigation into the results, spending, she says, around £40,000 of her and her husband’s savings.
On her Instagram account, the Worcestershire cyclist this week explained why she has been absent from social media in recent months, saying she had been “silently living my worst nightmare”.
Banks said the time between being told he had tested positive for traces of chlorthalidone and formoterol and being de-doped had been an “incredibly dark time”.
In April, the UK Anti-Doping Organization (Ukad) stated that there had been “no fault or negligence” on Banks’ part for the “contaminated” tests.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week, former Team GB rider Lizzy Banks revealed her ten-month “silent” trauma at the hands of Wada (World Anti-Doping Association) and Ukad (UK Anti-Doping) after He was told on July 28, 2023 that he had tested positive for traces of the banned substances chlorthalidone and formoterol.
In a blog on her personal website, Banks, 33, told her followers that she and her husband had spent “every penny of our savings” as she fought to clear her name.
This week, she published a blog post on her own website and recorded an interview with Woman’s Hour in which she harshly criticized anti-doping authorities Wada (World Anti-Doping Association) and Ukad.
Wiping away tears on the Radio 4 show, the cyclist told presenter Nuala McGovern about the emotional strain she had endured and her determination to fight the system.
She said: “It was just an impossible task and I really felt like my whole life was over because I had seen these cases on the news and I knew these cases always ended badly.”
The athlete said the stress of being wrongly accused (she has since been found not guilty of the “tainted” evidence) had made her “seriously worried about her life.”
Banks said he was unwavering in his commitment to clearing his name for the sake of others: “I’ve never worked so hard at anything in my life.
‘I put absolutely everything into this, and I really believe that public pressure is the only way to get Wada (World Anti-Doping Association) and Ukad (UK Anti-Doping) to change their rules because we tried and they wouldn’t listen to us.’
And he added: “If I have to be the sacrificial lamb, so be it.”
In his blog post, titled “This story must be heard,” he detailed two stories, one short and one long, about how his life has been turned upside down since July 2023, saying he will now not return to the sport he loves. .
The cyclist, who competed with Team GB in two world championships, wrote: ‘This process has cost me a lot, literally and metaphorically.
“My husband and I spent every penny of our savings and the enormous mental toll has left deep scars.”
In an emotional interview with Radio 4’s Nuala McGovern, she broke down and said her life had been “ruined” during the time she was appealing, and said she feared someone would die as a result of similar allegations.
Speaking about finally clearing his name, he said: ‘It’s hard to emphasize enough how important the boring UKAD finding is.
“To put it in black and white, I understand that this is the first time that UKAD has issued a ruling of No Fault or Negligence (and therefore, zero sanction) when the athlete has not specifically identified the exact source of the contamination.”
On social media, Banks was widely praised for speaking out.
One person wrote: “What an absolutely horrendous situation and what a brave woman to come out and share your story.”
Another added: “This sport can be so ugly and so stupid, but only people like you can eventually save it from itself.” ‘You’re an amazing person, Lizzy, and I’m so sorry you went through this!’
Reaction: Banks’ story sparked a flood of positive responses from fans
A Ukad spokesperson told the BBC: “Following media reports and comments made by professional cyclist Ms Elizabeth Banks on Tuesday 21 May 2024, UK Anti-Doping confirms that Ms Banks has committed anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) and that the applicable period of ineligibility has been removed on the basis that Ms. Banks had no fault or negligence for those ADRVs.
‘Ukad also notes with concern Ms Banks’ comments and will consider what it can do to better support athletes undergoing anti-doping rule violation proceedings.
‘Normally, Ukad would not comment on the facts of a specific case until all appeal deadlines have expired, at which point the Decision would be published in full in accordance with the reporting requirements of the UK Anti-Doping Rules.
“An appeal window remains open in this case and therefore Ukad does not intend to offer any further comment on this matter at this time.”
Meanwhile, WADA responded to the BBC by saying that Banks’ situation had not been simple: “This is a complex and nuanced area of anti-doping in which WADA always strives to strike the right balance for the good of athletes and clean sport”.
“Wada cannot comment specifically on this case, but reviews all cases to ensure they are appropriately handled under the rules and reserves the right to take appeals to the Court of Arbitration.”