IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON (August 19, 2019) – It is with great sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) has to announce that Laurence Vincent Lapointe has returned an adverse analytical finding following an out-of-competition doping control that took place in late July. Ms. Vincent Lapointe and CKC were informed of this finding on August 13, 2019.
The substance that was found in Ms. Vincent Lapointe’s sample has been the subject of recent established contaminated supplement cases and the preliminary information, available at this time, supports that Ms. Vincent Lapointe’s adverse analytical finding may have been caused by inadvertent and unknowing use of a prohibited substance from such a source.
“CKC fully supports Laurence in this extremely difficult and unfortunate situation and we will do everything we can to help her prove her innocence,” said Canoe Kayak Canada CEO, Casey Wade. “CKC firmly believes in clean sport, but we also have strong reason to believe that Laurence has taken all of the necessary precautions from an anti-doping perspective and that she has not knowingly or intentionally taken a prohibited substance. We will continue to assist Laurence in determining how this unfortunate situation could have occurred.”
In accordance with the International Canoe Federation’s Anti-Doping Rules, Ms. Vincent Lapointe has been provisionally suspended pending the final outcome of her case. Consequently, she will not be racing at the upcoming ICF World Championships.
“I am shocked and completely devastated by this situation because I have done absolutely nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide. I am a person of integrity and any form of cheating disgusts me. I believe in clean sport and it is what I apply as a principle in my life as an athlete. I would never put my name, my reputation, or my career at risk to improve my performances and widen the gap with my opponents,” said Laurence Vincent Lapointe. “This feels like a nightmare; I still cannot believe what has happened. Since learning of my positive test just a few days ago, I have done everything possible, with the support of CKC and within a short period of time, to determine the source of the prohibited substance that was found in my sample so that I can prove that I am innocent and that I am an honest and clean athlete.”
Canoe Kayak Canada will not make any further comment regarding this case pending the final outcome of the matter.
Laurence Vincent Lapointe will speak with the media on Tuesday in Montreal and Trois-Rivières, QC. Details below.
Montreal
Date | Tuesday August 20, 2019
Time | 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Location | Sheraton Hotel, 1201 René Lévesque ouest, Montréal (QC), H3B 2L7.
Salon 5, located on level 2.
Format | Speech and scrums (French and English).
Who | Laurence Vincent Lapointe, canoeist and Adam Klevinas, sport lawyer and Canoe Kayak Canada representative.
Trois-Rivières
Date | Tuesday August 20 2019
Time | 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Location | Delta Hotel, 1620 rue Notre-Dame, Trois-Rivières (QC), G9A 6E5.
Mékinac room, 2nd floor.
Format | Speech and scrums (French and English).
Who | Laurence Vincent Lapointe, canoeist and Adam Klevinas, sport lawyer and Canoe Kayak Canada representative.
Note that this will be Laurence Vincent Lapointe’s only media availability, pending the International Canoe Federation’s final decision.
To confirm your presence:
Laurence Vallerand
514-507-6299
514-966-2972
Marie-Anik L’Allier
514-507-6299
514-983-8236
-30-
Contact Information:
Colleen Coderre
Canoe Kayak Canada
Communications Lead
1.613.530.6217
Marie-Anik L’Allier
M-A L’Allier Public Relations – Laurence Vincent-Lapointe
1.514.983.8236
Laurence Vallerand
M-A L’Allier Public Relations
1.514.966.2972
About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.