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TWO U.S.Track AthlEteS Receive SUSPENSIONS FOR PosItive THG TestS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Apr. 29, 2004) – The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Thursday that Melissa Price of Lincoln, Neb. and John McEwen of Ashland, Ohio, both track and field athletes were suspended for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). These are the first suspensions of U.S. athletes for THG since the designer steroid was discovered last summer.
The suspensions followed hearings before the same three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In Price’s case, the Panel said, “the use of such a powerful anabolic steroid could be for no other purpose than to enhance an athlete’s performance in violation of the spirit and absolute proscriptions of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) doping rules.” The Panel in McEwen’s case echoed that conclusion.
“This decision confirms the tremendous work of all those who believe in drug-free sport. Today is a great day for those athletes who want to compete on a level playing field,” said Terry Madden, USADA Chief Executive Officer.
Price, 24, tested positive at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> at Stanford, Calif. on June 19, 2003 and from an out-of-competition test on July 29, 2003. She is suspended for two years from all sanctioned competition beginning on Apr. 15, 2004, the date of her arbitration hearing. In addition, all of her competitive results are disqualified from the date of the positive test, including her first-place finish in hammer throw at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> and 12th-place finish at the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Paris.
McEwen, 30, tested positive for THG and modafinil at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> at Stanford, Calif. on June 20, 2003. He is suspended for two years from all sanctioned competition beginning on Apr. 19, 2004, the date of his arbitration hearing. In addition, all of his competitive results are disqualified from the date of his positive test, including his second-place finish in the hammer throw at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Modafinil is a central nervous system stimulant that was prohibited at the time of the test because it is related to the classes of substances banned under IAAF rules.
The parties in both cases agreed USADA proved beyond a reasonable doubt that THG is chemically and pharmacologically related to the specifically listed anabolic steroids gestrinone and trenbolone on the IAAF prohibited list. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the international federation for the sport of track and field, prohibits anabolic agents at all times.
USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction.
These are the 14th and 15th announcements issued by USADA in 2004. USADA became the independent anti-doping agency for U.S. athletes in the Olympic movement in October 2000.
USADA is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. UASDA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Apr. 29, 2004) – The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Thursday that Melissa Price of Lincoln, Neb. and John McEwen of Ashland, Ohio, both track and field athletes were suspended for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). These are the first suspensions of U.S. athletes for THG since the designer steroid was discovered last summer.
The suspensions followed hearings before the same three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In Price’s case, the Panel said, “the use of such a powerful anabolic steroid could be for no other purpose than to enhance an athlete’s performance in violation of the spirit and absolute proscriptions of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) doping rules.” The Panel in McEwen’s case echoed that conclusion.
“This decision confirms the tremendous work of all those who believe in drug-free sport. Today is a great day for those athletes who want to compete on a level playing field,” said Terry Madden, USADA Chief Executive Officer.
Price, 24, tested positive at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> at Stanford, Calif. on June 19, 2003 and from an out-of-competition test on July 29, 2003. She is suspended for two years from all sanctioned competition beginning on Apr. 15, 2004, the date of her arbitration hearing. In addition, all of her competitive results are disqualified from the date of the positive test, including her first-place finish in hammer throw at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> and 12th-place finish at the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Paris.
McEwen, 30, tested positive for THG and modafinil at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships <http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/> at Stanford, Calif. on June 20, 2003. He is suspended for two years from all sanctioned competition beginning on Apr. 19, 2004, the date of his arbitration hearing. In addition, all of his competitive results are disqualified from the date of his positive test, including his second-place finish in the hammer throw at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Modafinil is a central nervous system stimulant that was prohibited at the time of the test because it is related to the classes of substances banned under IAAF rules.
The parties in both cases agreed USADA proved beyond a reasonable doubt that THG is chemically and pharmacologically related to the specifically listed anabolic steroids gestrinone and trenbolone on the IAAF prohibited list. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the international federation for the sport of track and field, prohibits anabolic agents at all times.
USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction.
These are the 14th and 15th announcements issued by USADA in 2004. USADA became the independent anti-doping agency for U.S. athletes in the Olympic movement in October 2000.
USADA is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. UASDA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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