USADA announced today that Brian Coushay, of Beaverton, Ore., an athlete in the sport of track & field, has tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a two-year suspension for his doping offense.
Coushay, 51, tested positive for Amphetamine as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on July 25, 2015 at the National Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville, Fla. Amphetamine is a substance in the class of Stimulants prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and International Association of Athletics Federations (“IAAF”) Anti‐Doping Rules, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
After a thorough review of the case, USADA concluded that Coushay did not use Amphetamine with the intent to enhance his athletic performance. Thus, USADA determined that a 2-year period of ineligibility, rather than the standard four-year period of ineligibility, was the appropriate sanction for Coushay’s anti-doping rule violation.
Coushay’s two-year period of ineligibility began on September 9, 2015, the date a provisional suspension was imposed. As a result of the violation, Coushay has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to July 25, 2015, the date his sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.
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 recreational drugs. In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, 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, and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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