USADA announced today that Aja Evans, of Atlanta, Ga., an athlete in the sport of bobsled, has accepted a two-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.
Evans, 35, failed to submit to sample collection after being notified by a USADA doping control officer during an out-of-competition test on March 29, 2022. Evading sample collection or refusing or failing to submit to sample collection without compelling justification is an anti-doping rule violation under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Under the applicable rules, athletes may qualify for a reduction from the default four-year period of ineligibility if they can show that their failure to submit to sample collection was not intentional. Through its investigation, USADA determined that Evans negligently failed to submit to sample collection.
Evans’s two-year period of ineligibility began on November 8, 2022, the date she accepted a sanction. In addition, Evans has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to March 29, 2022, the date she failed to provide a sample, 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 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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