USADA announced today that Jennifer Pate, of Birmingham, Ala., an athlete in the sport of cycling, has accepted a four-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.
In addition to its Olympic and Paralympic anti-doping programs, USADA works with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in sport to execute anti-doping initiatives like the RaceClean Program that are funded by the NGB. Pate, 50, was subject to testing due to her membership in USA Cycling, which maintains the RaceClean Program that works to fight doping in the sport of cycling. The goal of the RaceClean Program is to increase testing and education to provide greater doping deterrence and is maintained through member funding, donations, and local association partnerships.
“Regardless of the competition level, athletes deserve to be on the starting line knowing that their competitors are free of powerful performance-enhancing substances that can impact the results of races they have worked hard to prepare for,” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. “USA Cycling’s RaceClean initiative and others like it are giving athletes the knowledge and tools they need to compete clean, while also ensuring that those who choose to use performance-enhancing substances to get an edge are held accountable.”
Pate tested positive for androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) from an in-competition urine sample collected on August 11, 2018 at the Capital City Cycling Classic. Her urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test that differentiates between AAS naturally produced by the body and prohibited anabolic agents of external origin. Anabolic agents have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities and have been demonstrated to give athletes an unfair advantage over fellow competitors.
AAS are non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and are prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Cycling Union Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Pate’s four-year period of ineligibility began August 11, 2018, the date her sample was collected. In addition, Pate has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to August 11, 2018, 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 obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements (www.Supplement411.org) 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, an athlete handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.
Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. 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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