FILE PHOTO: Athletics - IAAF World Indoor Championships 2018 - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - March 4, 2018 Will Claye of the U.S. celebrates winning the Men's Triple Jump REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

(Reuters) - Triple Olympic medalist Will Claye was cleared of wrongdoing after returning a positive doping test that was determined to be the result of contaminated meat he consumed in Mexico, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Thursday.

The 27-year-old American, who won triple jump silver medals at the last two Olympics and a long jump bronze in 2012, tested positive for trace amounts of clenbuterol as a result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected last month.

According to USADA, the issue of illicit administration of clenbuterol to animals destined for food production can result in a positive sample from an athlete and they have issued warnings about this problem in China and Mexico.

During its investigation into the circumstances that led to the positive test, USADA said it gathered evidence from Claye and reviewed his whereabouts, dietary habits, and the laboratory reports demonstrating trace amounts of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s urine sample.

“USADA concluded that it was unlikely that the presence of clenbuterol in the athlete’s sample resulted from a source other than contaminated meat consumed in Mexico,” the anti-doping body said in a statement.

As a result of USADA’s ruling, Claye will not face a period of ineligibility for his positive test and there are no competitive results to be disqualified because the sample was collected out-of-competition.