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SPORTS Tuesday 28 January 2020

Canoeist Laurence Vincent Lapointe, left, and her lawyer Adam
Klevinas attend a news conference in Montreal, Monday, Jan.
27, 2020.
Associated Press

Athlete wins doping In this Sept. 28, 2019, file photo Brad Keselowski puts on his helmet during practice for Sunday's

case citing bodily NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Associated Press

fluids from boyfriend Penske drivers ready to perform

LAUSANNE, Switzerland dence which supports that after huge offseason shakeup
(AP) — A world champion she was the victim of third-
canoeist won a doping party contamination," the
case on Monday after per- governing body said in a By JENNA FRYER Cup Series title in 2012. Blaney has been in the
suading a tribunal that her statement, clearing her to AP Auto Racing Writer But Wolfe will now be Penske system since 2013
positive test was caused by return to competition. CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — paired with Logano, Gor- but has just three Cup vic-
bodily fluid contamination The legal debate is similar Team Penske won the don goes to Blaney and tories, which he admits is
from her boyfriend. to tennis player Richard championship last year in Keselowski gets Jeremy Bul- not good enough.
The International Canoe Gasquet's 2009 acquittal every series it competes lins from Blaney. "I haven't won as many
Federation ended its in- in the "cocaine kiss" case. except NASCAR. Doesn't Keselowski won a team- races as these guys have
vestigation into 11-time The Court of Arbitration for mean it was a bad year: high three races last sea- over the years; I don't want
world champion Laurence Sport accepted Gasquet's the team still won six races son but had a considerable to be the bottom of the
Vincent Lapointe, who defense that kissing a and placed all three of its dropoff in the playoffs and totem pole," Blaney said.
tested positive for a ste- woman who had taken co- drivers into the playoffs. his early elimination led to "Joey and Brad are great,
roid-like substance in July. caine in a Miami nightclub, It just wasn't good enough, an eighth-place finish in they are both champions.
She faced a four-year ban after he had withdrawn in- not when Roger Penske's the standings. I want to be better than
and could have missed her jured from a tournament, IndyCar, sports car and V8 He called the personnel those guys. I need to get
event's Olympic debut at caused his positive test. SuperCar teams won titles. changes "brave and cou- better.
the 2020 Tokyo Games. The 27-year-old Vincent So he made a sweep- rageous" and said the goal "That's something I've want-
The Canadian canoe sprint Lapointe was provision- ing offseason change by is to put four cars — Penske ed to change really bad. I
racer and her lawyer de- ally suspended for almost swapping the crew chiefs has an alliance with The think we could have it done
tailed in a news program six months and missed the for Ryan Blaney, Brad Kes- Wood Brothers and driver it without the change, but
that laboratory analysis 2019 world championships, elowski and Joey Logano Matt DiBenedetto — in the this will hopefully pick things
of hair from her then-boy- which was a key qualifying — a massive personal up- final four. The Ford team up. You never want to be
friend showed he was likely event for the Tokyo Olym- heaval for each driver. was shut out of last season's the last guy. That can put
responsible for a tiny pres- pics. "We just felt you can't have title deciding race, which your job in your jeopardy."
ence of ligandrol in her "You can't even imagine the same guy running your Kyle Busch won by beat- Penske insisted his drivers'
doping sample. how relieved I am," Vin- business forever, it gets ing two of his Toyota team- jobs aren't on the line. But
"It's pretty incredible," Vin- cent Lapointe said at the time to change it," Penske mates at Joe Gibbs Racing Blaney and Keselowski are
cent Lapointe's lawyer, news conference. "It feels told The Associated Press. and Kevin Harvick in a Ford. in contract years and a
Adam Klevinas, said at a good to put an end to this "For me, it was the perfect "I personally needed to be failure to deliver could be
news conference on Mon- journey and just be able time and when we got into challenged and so I think costly in negotiations.
day in Trois-Rivieres, Que- to concentrate on what I the discussions with them, I it's a good challenge for "There's nothing sinister
bec. "It took months to get love, and get back on the all the guys we're like, 'Let's me," Keselowski said. "A lot here, it was just time for
results, and then at the water to prepare for the try it.' of us were pretty comfort- change," Penske said. "All
end, we got the idea to an- (Olympics)." "But it isn't like we took an A able and this certainly re- three drivers see opportu-
alyze the hair of her ex and Vincent Lapointe can still and gave him a B with any moves any feeling of com- nities. We are moving peo-
to test a product he finally qualify for the Olympic of the guys. All of them can fort. So if it's the kick in the ple all the time, I think you
admitted to taking." debut of women's canoe win." (butt) I need to be the best have to, but all three guys
The key evidence came sprint events, with May op- The move was jarring con- I can be, then so be it." are performing. We're not
back from a laboratory tions at races in Brazil and sidering Logano had won The moves come ahead as good as Gibbs, for sure,
ahead of the tribunal hear- Germany. the 2018 championship of contract years for both we've got to be better."
ing in December called by Monday's ruling can be with Todd Gordon. Paul Blaney and Keselowski. Joe Gibbs Racing won 19
the governing body of ca- challenged at CAS by the Wolfe had also made Kes- Keselowski is entering his of 36 Cup races last year,
noeing in Switzerland. World Anti-Doping Agency elowski the winningest driv- 11th season with the team took three of the four spots
"The ICF has accepted if it is not satisfied with the er in Penske history; the duo and 29 of his 30 Cup wins in the championship finale
Ms. Vincent Lapointe's evi- full ruling. q gave "The Captain" his first have come with Penske. and won the title.q