Mexican compound archer Mariana Bernal has publicly denied the intentional consumption of a banned substance following a three-year sporting suspension that forced her to relinquish her Archery World Cup Final gold medal, according to sports reports from Mexico.
In a public statement released via her Instagram account and covered by IMER Noticias, Bernal broke her silence regarding an adverse analytical finding from a urine sample collected on September 29, 2025. The test detected 19-androsterona, a metabolite of nandrolona, triggering a disciplinary process that ultimately resulted in a three-year ban from official competitions and the loss of her gold medal.
“I want to be very clear about something. I never consumed that substance in an intentional way, simply I never consumed that substance,” Bernal stated in her video message, addressing the sanction that sidelined her career.
Trace Concentration and Contradictory Follow-Up Tests
According to details provided in the coverage, Bernal’s initial urine sample showed a concentration of 2.3 nanogramos per milliliter, which placed the measurement 0.3 units above the permitted threshold of 2 nanogramos. The compound specialist argued that such a minimal excess would not have provided any physiological enhancement to her athletic performance, stating that the trace amount would not make her stronger, improve her shooting technique, or enhance her endurance and recovery.
Bernal also pointed out that on October 18, 2025—the exact day she secured victory at the Archery World Cup Final—she underwent a subsequent doping control test that returned a negative result. Despite the negative follow-up test, the disciplinary proceedings stemming from the September sample moved forward.
Prohibitive Legal Costs Force Settlement
Working alongside her lawyer, Ricardo de Buen, and World Archery Mexico president Gabriel Ramos, Bernal explored various hypotheses to explain the presence of the metabolite, including potential supplement or food contamination. However, the athlete ultimately decided to halt her scientific and legal defense because the mounting procedural expenses became financially unsustainable.
Faced with prohibitive legal costs, Bernal agreed to a three-year sanction offered through a settlement process. She emphasized that accepting the agreement did not equate to an admission of voluntary ingestion. “That is why I accepted the three-year sanction within the agreement that was offered to me, recognizing the presence of the substance in my sample, but not an intentional intake,” she explained.
Forfeiture of Titles and Olympic Implications
As a condition of the resolution, Bernal returned the gold medal, trophy, and financial prize money associated with her Archery World Cup Final victory. The suspension effectively rules her out of upcoming international competitions, including the Olympics.
Personal Hiatus and Hopes for a Competitive Return
Reflecting on the emotional toll of the ordeal, Bernal acknowledged stepping away from the sport temporarily to focus on personal and professional projects. Nevertheless, the Mexican archer left open the possibility of returning to competitive archery once her suspension concludes, expressing determination to resume her career with the integrity that previously defined her performances on the international circuit.
Keep reading
