USADA announced today that Eliud Ngetich, of El Doret, Kenya, an athlete in the sport of track and field, has accepted a two-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation committed under the 2009 version of the World Anti-Doping Code.
Ngetich, 27, tested positive for nandrolone, also known as 19-nortestosterone. The results of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) were consistent with exogenous origin of 19-norandrosterone (19-NA), a metabolite of nandrolone, in an out-of-competition urine sample collected on December 6, 2014. Nandrolone and 19-NA are Non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Athletics) Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
After considering the case, USADA suspended one year of the two-year sanction due to the substantial assistance that Ngetich provided, which is the reason for the delay in announcing Ngetich’s sanction. Ngetich served a two-month provisional suspension in the spring of 2015, and his remaining ten-month period of ineligibility began on August 19, 2021, the date he accepted his sanction. In addition, Ngetich has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on July 1, 2014 through June 1, 2015, the end of his provisional suspension, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to file and update athlete Whereabouts, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as an easy-reference wallet card with examples of prohibited and permitted substances, a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, an athlete handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.
USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253) or by mail.
USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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