Statement by Lucas Browne: I made clear to the public last week that I intended to do all that I can to clear my name after the devastating news of the positive drug test following my successful defeat of Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA Heavyweight World Championship.
I am now able to report to you that on February 29th shortly after having arrived in Chechnya I was subjected to a randomly timed drug test by VADA. This was a test of blood and urine. The post fight test was a urine only test. I would like to again stress it was myself and my team who requested the bout be subject to VADA testing.
I now hold clear and unequivocal evidence that this test was a negative test and shows clearly that I arrived in Chechnya a clean athlete. Hatton Promotions have made this information available to the media today.
Following that clean test I ate only at the hotel in which we were hosted and at the meal following the boxers media weigh in. The water I drank on the night of the fight was sealed bottled water.
I wish to make it clear that I have at this stage no reason to take issue with the VADA testing of me in and around this fight. Given the result of the A sample I have no reason to believe that the B sample will provide any different results to the A sample.
My team’s investigations will now concentrate on the period of time between the clean test on 29 February and the fight itself on 5 March. I maintain that I did not knowingly consume any banned substance, including the Clenbutrol found in my system in that time.
My team have worked tirelessly in support of me and I thank them for this and their unwavering faith in me. I thank the public for their understanding and support of the situation I find myself in also. I will continue to do all that I can to clear my name.
Statement by Hatton Promotions Ltd in relation to Lucas Browne
Hatton Promotions wish to expand further on information of which we are aware regarding the Positive ‘A’ sample taken from Lucas Browne following his world title win.
In our previous statement we confirmed that we believed that Lucas Browne was a clean athlete and arrived in Chechnya a clean athlete. it was our team who requested the testing. Our investigations are ongoing but such is the lack of confidentiality of information we feel it is important to report further as we progress. This is particularly important given the background of recent drug and testing scandals in and around Russian and eastern European states.
We confirm that on 29 February, 6 days before the bout, Lucas Browne was subjected to an entirely random drug test by VADA. This was both a blood and urine test and was not planned or expected on that date or time.
We confirm that drug test was NEGATIVE. We have in our possession evidence from VADA that this is the case and this is available for inspection.
Mr Browne arrived in Chechnya a clean athlete.
We take no issue with the VADA testing process. At this stage we do not anticipate the B sample providing different results to those seen in the A sample. We support Lucas Browne entirely when he states that he did not knowingly place anything within his body containing any banned substance in the period between 29 February and the fight on 5 March 2016. We are concentrating our further investigations on this period.
Hatton Promotions have been through a great deal with Lucas Browne. Together we overcame many hurdles to get his chance to fight for the heavyweight championship of the World within just 4 years. Lucas himself overcame significant hurdles on the night itself to become victorious. We would remind everyone hat the 6th round, Lucas’ most difficult of the fight having been on the floor, was extended by some 36 seconds by the timekeeper in Chechnya to give their champion extra time to try to end the fight. Clearly that was intentional and Lucas overcame it. We will do all that we can to overcome this newest hurdle to ensure justice prevails and Lucas has our complete support in this regard.
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“I would like to assure all my fans, the whole of the boxing world and all of Australia that I am not a drug user or a drug cheat. The news of this positive test has shocked and devastated me, and I will be fighting for as long as it takes to clear my name.
“Prior to today I had not heard of the drug clenbuterol and had no idea what it was used for. I am now aware that it is essentially a weight-stripping drug, and as a heavyweight boxer the idea of me using it is utterly ridiculous. I am a staunch long-time opponent of any drug use, performance-enhancing or otherwise.
“My team and I were well aware of the many risks involved in going to a place like Chechnya to fight a reigning champion, and believed we had taken sufficient precautions. In addition, it was at our insistence that VADA testing was implemented for the fight.
“I will be in a position to release more details and make further comment in coming days.
Thank you.”
Hatton Promotions Statement
Ricky Hatton and Hatton Promotions Ltd were made aware late last night that Lucas Browne delivered a positive A sample drug test following his World Title win over Ruslan Chagaev.
We believe strongly that boxing should be free from performance enhancing drugs.
However we believe Lucas Browne to be a clean athlete who arrived in Chechnya a clean athlete.
We are therefore conducting our own further investigations and cannot comment further at this time.
