USADA announced today that Jacob Lacoste, of Great Falls, Mont., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a three-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation.
Lacoste, 25, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites and 19-norandrosterone (19-NA), a metabolite of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) and related 19-norsteroids, as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected at the Junior and U25 Nationals on July 1, 2021. The results of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), a specialized test that is capable of measuring the carbon isotope ratio of urinary steroids and confirming their synthetic origin, were consistent with 19-NA of exogenous origin. Nandrolone and 19-NA are Non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents, while clomiphene is a Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. These 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 2021 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, Lacoste qualified for a one-year reduction to the otherwise applicable four-year period of ineligibility.
Lacoste’s three-year period of ineligibility began on August 20, 2021, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Lacoste has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to July 1, 2021, 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 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 an easy-reference wallet card with examples of prohibited and permitted substances, a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, an athlete 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 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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