The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Wednesday that Desiree Owen of Kingwood, Texas, an athlete in the sport of track and field, tested positive during an out-of-competition test on Jan. 2, 2002 for the use of androstendione, a prohibited anabolic steroid under the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) rules.
The IAAF is the international federation for the sport of track and field.
Owen, 27, was suspended for two years from competition, which is the maximum sanction in accordance with the IAAF rules. USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction, which began on Feb. 5, 2002, the date of the acceptance of the sanction.
She will be disqualified from any results obtained since Jan. 2, 2002.
“This is a result of taking an over-the-counter supplement (which contained androstendione). It never occurred to me that supplements I could buy over the counter would contain a prohibited substance like this. This was a stupid mistake on my part, which I take full responsibility for. I hope that other athletes will learn from this,” said Owen, who is a distance runner.
This is the sixth announcement issued by USADA in 2002. USADA became the independent anti-doping agency for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes on Oct. 2, 2000.
USADA is the independent anti-doping agency for Olympic sports in the United States, and is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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