US triathlete accepts sanction for anti-doping violation

From press release.

USADA announced late last week that high-ranking age group triathlete Ashley Paulson of Utah has accepted a six-month sanction for violating anti-doping rules. She tested positive for banned substance ostarine from a contaminated supplement.

Paulson, 34, tested positive for the drug in an out-of-competition urine sample test in September, 2015. Osarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Anti-Doping Rules and the World Triathlon Corporation Anti-Doping Rules. All of those organizations have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Prohibited List.

Paulson was taking a supplement that was subsequently examined, tested and found to be contaminated with the drug. Her period of ineligibility began on October 16th, 2015. She has been disqualified from from all competitive results obtained on or after September 14th, the date the sample was collected. She has also been stripped of all medals, points and prizes from this date forward.

Paulson qualified for Kona at Ironman Coeur d’Alene last year after placing first in the 30 – 34 age group and finishing as the top female age grouper overall. She said in an interview after the race last year that her overall age group win qualified her to turn pro. According to a recent Facebook post, Paulson received her pro card on March 29th, 2016.

“Today we are celebrating my ‘Freedom’ to race,” she said in the post. “It’s official! I got my pro card today!”

Even though Paulson’s case was the result of contamination according to USADA, amateur doping is an issue on the rise.

In a letter to the editor we received last year, Jordan Tesluk discusses how doping is hurting triathlon.