Warsaw. Sprint canoeist Dorota Borowska has been removed from Poland's team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games due to an alleged violation of anti-doping rules, the Polish Canoe Federation confirmed on Wednesday. The 28-year-old won gold in the women's C1 event at the 2024 ECA Canoe Sprint European Championships in Szeged, Hungary, in June. Borowska was considered one of Poland's medal hopes at the Olympic Games. “We support purity in sport and strongly condemn the use of prohibited doping substances. We also declare full cooperation with the relevant anti-doping authorities. However, we do not have a pre-judgement of an athlete's guilt and believe that everyone has the right to a fair trial,” the Polish Canoe Federation (PCF) said in a statement.

The banned substance was found in a sample taken from Borowska in June. The athlete can appeal against the International Canoe Federation's decision, which suspended her qualification for Paris 2024. “According to the information we have received from the athlete's coaching staff, she wishes to exercise this right,” the PCF said. Borowska admitted she is very sad, as winning Olympic gold was her dream. “I have never taken any illegal substances on purpose. I cannot believe what happened. It feels like a nightmare. I will do anything to prove my innocence,” the athlete told Polish media on Wednesday.