USADA announced today that Steven Doughty, of Northford, Conn., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a three-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for prohibited substances.
Doughty, 43, tested positive for an anabolic agent and anastrozole as the result of a urine sample collected at the USA Weightlifting Masters Nationals on April 5, 2025. USADA’s Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) recommended additional screening based on abnormal biomarkers in his urine sample, so the sample was analyzed using a specialized test known as Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), that unequivocally differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and AAS of synthetic origin. The IRMS analysis results were consistent with the exogenous origin of testosterone and its metabolites.
USADA determined that Doughty was using testosterone cypionate and anastrozole at the direction of a physician, but he lacked a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Under the USADA TUE Policy, an athlete has the responsibility to demonstrate that the medical need to treat an acute or chronic condition satisfies the strict criteria within the WADA International Standard for TUEs (ISTUE). Anabolic agents like testosterone have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities and can give an athlete an unfair advantage over fellow competitors, which is why criteria must be fulfilled beyond merely providing a prescription.
All anabolic agents are non–Specified Substances, and anastrozole is a Specified Substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. Both substances are 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 Weightlifting Federation Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Under Article 10.8.1 of the Code, an athlete who faces an anti-doping rule violation that carries a period of ineligibility of four or more years may receive a one-year sanction reduction if the athlete admits the violation and accepts the asserted sanction within 20 days of notification of the alleged anti-doping rule violation charge. Per the rule, Doughty qualified for a one-year reduction to the otherwise applicable four-year period of ineligibility.
Doughty’s three-year period of ineligibility began on April 29, 2025, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Doughty has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to April 5, 2025, the date his positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents, coaches, and medical professionals 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 (GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, a clean sport 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 text at 87232 (“USADA”), 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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