CurrentReport Blog Finnish heavyweight boxer Robert Helenius has been handed a two-year ban from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance following his fight against Anthony Joshua in August 2023. The UK Anti-Doping agency (UKAD) confirmed the suspension on Friday, stating that Helenius tested positive for clomifene, a prohibited substance.
The test was conducted after Helenius, then 39 years old, faced Anthony Joshua at London’s O2 Arena, where he was knocked out. In his defense, Helenius pleaded innocence, attributing the presence of clomifene in his system to eggs and chicken meat he consumed prior to the match.
However, the UKAD was not convinced by Helenius’s explanation. In their official statement, they asserted that Helenius failed to provide substantial evidence that the eggs and chicken he consumed were from hens treated with clomifene. “Mr. Helenius was unable to provide evidence that eggs and chicken he had consumed in advance of the bout originated from hens that had been administered clomifene,” the agency declared. “He was therefore unable to identify the source of clomifene in his Sample and therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of Ineligibility of two years.”
As a result, the 40-year-old boxer’s ban is set to last until September 17, 2025, starting from his provisional suspension on September 18, 2023. This ruling means that Helenius will not be eligible to compete in any professional boxing matches until the suspension is lifted.
