Source: Nic Antaya / Getty
Following her surprising suspension, Claressa Shields proved she’s not going down without a fight. And now it looks like she is one step closer to claiming victory.
The world champion boxer sought to clear her name after her drug test came back positive for marijuana leading to her suspension. And on Feb. 21, she did just that by providing negative results from a follow-up test. Taking to Instagram, Shields laid everything out by posting both tests and breaking it down by dates.
The 29-year-old athlete shared her positive results in the second slide, revealing that she took this initial test on Feb 3. The lab collected a saliva sample, which tested positive on Feb. 7.
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The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission suspended Shields following her victory over Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2. The organization has since banned her from competing in the state until they have completed their investigation.
Shields quickly took a follow-up test, as shown in her Quest Diagnostics results on the first slide. This time, she gave a urine sample on Feb. 8 and it came back with negative results on Feb. 11.
In the caption, the Flint, Mich., native explained her decision to quickly retest. “A urine tests — the most reliable testing method — can detect weed for up to 30 days in your urine, and came back negative,” she said. “The moment I received the saliva test result, I acted immediately to schedule a follow-up urine test to ensure complete clarity. These results confirm that I’ve been clean and in full compliance the entire time.”
She later wrote, “I’ve always competed clean, and I stand by that. I take my integrity seriously inside and outside the ring.”
In the third and last slide, she posted a report questioning the accuracy of the first test from D.R.S. Medical Review Service. The article, which was written by The Ring, reported that Shields was not the only boxer that day to have her test results come back positive with low traces of marijuana. Boxer Joseph Hicks tested positive for marijuana, while Skylar Lacy’s test returned a positive result for an unconfirmed substance.
It is believed that Shield and Hicks were exposed to secondhand smoke after their fights.
In a statement the Michigan Commission said, “Ms. Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an immediate threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest and the welfare and safety of professional athletes.”
But Shields has maintained her innocence and confidence since the news became public and proved she has nothing to hide.
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