Canadian swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey is speaking out after she says she was drugged on the final night of the World Championships that were held in Budapest, Hungary last month.
Harvey, from Montreal, first went public with the news on Instagram Wednesday, saying she suffered a rib sprain and concussion as a result of the incident.
The 22-year old told Global News in an interview on Thursday that she had gone out with friends to celebrate the end of a good swim meet.
“Pretty much all the swimmers from every country were at the same place,” Harvey said, adding she thought she was safe.
Harvey recalls having a total of four drinks all evening and being with friends but then it all goes to black.
“I remember waking up the next day with the doctor and the team manager by my side,” Harvey said, adding she was completely lost.
“I was so confused because I didn’t feel hung over or anything...It was just weird because it’s just this like a four to six-hour window that I have, like, no memory about.”
Since the incident, friends have been filling in the gaps.
Harvey believes she was drugged because those around her say she went from being fine one minute to not being fine the next.
The Tokyo Olympian said she’s normally the one to look out for others and she remembers being true to herself during the evening.
“I remember taking care of people and then, I was like, from being taking care of people to not being able to stand, being unconscious,” she said.
A friend found her in the street. She doesn’t know how she got there.
It was only after travelling home the next day that Harvey discovered dozens of bruises on her body.
“I didn’t feel any pain. I just felt shame,” she said. “I felt so embarrassed because I was not in control of my body.”
Harvey said she felt compelled to share her experience to raise awareness about the issue of drink spiking, warning that it can happen to anyone, anywhere.
“I thought I was safe because I knew a lot of people there, but clearly I wasn’t,” she said. “You need to be careful.”
To make matters worse, Harvey said she’s heard of the same thing happening to others and the same championship.
“I’ve heard one name but she hasn’t talked to me yet so it’s not my story to tell,” she said.
In a statement, Swimming Canada said “staff have been in contact with Mary since her return and we are offering her support. We continue to gather information on the situation, and the file has been forwarded to our independent Safe Sport officer.”
FINA, the world swimming organization behind the competition, has launched an investigation.
While Harvey did get follow-up treatment at home, she says there is a lack of resources available to victims and more needs to be done to help them.
Harvey doesn’t believe she was assaulted but was referred to a specialized clinic.
“I called them after and it was closed, left my number and they called me only two days later,” she said.
It’s a wait time Harvey feels is unacceptable, especially if a person knows with absolute certainty that they were violated.
“So with two days to get a response, it’s not OK and it shouldn’t be OK.”
— With files from Global News’ Phil Carpenter and Reuters’ Amy Tennery
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