Hardy turns to television to proclaim her innocence

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U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy took to the airwaves this morning to proclaim her innocence after a positive doping test that is threatening to derail her Beijing Olympics bid. Speaking on CBS’ ‘The Early Show,’ the 21-year-old swimmer from Long Beach described the past few days as ‘heartbreaking and devastating....It’s literally a nightmare.’

Hardy, who tested positive for a prohibited drug, told the show’s hosts that ‘in my heart I know I’m 100% clean and I’ve never done anything different my whole career. I’ve been clean my whole career and to have this huge setback...it’s just heartbreaking.’

Hardy’s attorney, Howard Jacobs, said Thursday that the swimmer tested positive for the stimulant clenbuterol after her second doping test at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. Her first and third doping tests that same week, Jacobs said, both came back negative.

“I have my attorneys and my experts looking into it, but honestly we have no idea how this positive test happened,” Hardy said.

Hardy qualified to compete in the Olympic 100-meter breaststroke and the 50 freestyle. She told CBS that she heard the bad news when she awoke on Monday at the U.S. training camp in Palo Alto: ‘I was actually napping when I got the phone call. USADA, the U.S Anti-Doping Agency, called and said that I tested positive and I had never even heard of this drug before.

“I was taking notes right when she called, to write down my information and everything and I spelled the drug name wrong even....I was devastated.’

Hardy holds out hope that she’ll be able to clear herself and compete in the Beijing Games. ‘We’re going to have a hearing before the start of the Olympic Games, and as soon as possible to try to make sure that I can compete, because I know that I’m innocent and we just have to prove this.”

-- Greg Johnson