The latest in the ongoing Dillian Whyte drug test saga: the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) announced today that both Whyte and opponent Oscar Rivas passed their final pre-fight (July 17th) and post-fight (July 21st) drug tests.
This isn’t necessarily exoneration for the embattled Whyte (26-1, 18 KO), however. According to Dan Rafael in the article above, the sample UK Anti-Doping tested was taken on June 17th. The substance Whyte failed for, an anabolic steroid known as Dianabol, has a fairly short detection window when taken orally; some brief snooping suggests a maximum of nine weeks. If Whyte did indeed take it, it’s very possible that it could pass from his system between UKAD’s test and VADA’s.
More importantly, perhaps, is confirmation that VADA was not informed of the failed test. I cannot fathom why two drug testing agencies testing the same fighters at the same time would not communicate a detail like that. Frankly, regardless of Whyte’s ultimate fate, there is no excuse for UKAD’s and the BBBofC’s actions. It boggles the mind how those in the loop thought this could possibly reflect well on them.
But hey, “he was cleared to fight,” right?