USADA announced today that an arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association (AAA) has rendered a decision in the case of weightlifting athlete, Mary Hall, of Melfa, Va., and has determined that Hall should receive a four-year sanction after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Hall, 27, tested positive for oxandrolone and its metabolite epioxandrolone as the result of a urine sample she provided on May 6, 2016, at the USA Weightlifting (USAW) National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. Oxandrolone is a non-Specified Substance 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 Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Weightlifting Federation Anti-Doping Policy, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
In this case, analysis suggested that Hall had recently used oxandrolone, but the latest advances in analytical detection methods ensure that the long-term urinary metabolites of this potent performance-enhancing anabolic steroid can be detected long after its use.
Hall’s four-year period of ineligibility began on June 1, 2016, the date her provisional suspension was imposed. As a result of the doping violation, Hall’s competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 6, 2016, the date she participated in the USAW National Championships, have been disqualified, and any medals, points, and prizes are forfeited.
This decision, as well as other arbitral decisions, can be found here.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as all 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 obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements as well as performance-enhancing and psychoactive 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 proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, periodic newsletters, and protocol and policy reference documentation.
USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, including foreign athletes competing, training, or living in the U.S. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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