Ms. Liu no longer lives with her father having moved out of her family
home in September 2022 aged 16, but for the past two years she has regularly visited
him at her family home a few nights per month. Ms. Liu further explained that on
many of these visits since her father began using his dorzolamide eyedrops, she would
lie on her father’s bed to talk and spend time with him each evening beginning around
8:00 p.m. and would stay on his bed from 30 to 90 minutes at a time, during which
time she would have contact with her father’s pillows and bedding.13 When reacting
to a funny or emotional story or video she shared with her father, which was not
uncommon, Ms. Liu would sometimes press her face into the pillow while laughing.14
Ms. Liu explained that as a young child she grew up talking and spending time with
both of her parents in their beds while they relaxed and that she had continued with
that family tradition when visiting her father, and treasured it all the more since she
no longer lived with him.15
Ms. Liu’s father corroborated Ms. Liu’s explanation that in June 2023
he was prescribed dorzolamide eyedrops to treat his glaucoma which he administered
in his bed twice daily until ceasing use in late March 2024
A little odd, but not unbelievable. There was also a point made that this medication would not help her compete in her field of artistic swimming and that the measured quantities were extremely low, consistent with it being absorbed through the skin. So on the whole it sounds like there's no real controversy here.
The story sounds completely contrived, but not wildly unrealistic. Like the kind of thing I would make up as a teenager to get out of being in trouble. It could totally be true, though.
At the same time, dorzolamide is a masking agent not a performance enhancer on its own. Also, the World Anti Doping Agency has a specific exemption for dorzolamide, so it isn't banned. Even if she was taking it and not getting it from her dad's pillows, it isn't bannable. She probably took it to hide weed or a recreational drug not doping.
A little odd, but not unbelievable. There was also a point made that this medication would not help her compete in her field of artistic swimming and that the measured quantities were extremely low, consistent with it being absorbed through the skin. So on the whole it sounds like there's no real controversy here.
The story sounds completely contrived, but not wildly unrealistic. Like the kind of thing I would make up as a teenager to get out of being in trouble. It could totally be true, though.
At the same time, dorzolamide is a masking agent not a performance enhancer on its own. Also, the World Anti Doping Agency has a specific exemption for dorzolamide, so it isn't banned. Even if she was taking it and not getting it from her dad's pillows, it isn't bannable. She probably took it to hide weed or a recreational drug not doping.
... lol