USADA announced today that Joshua Bringas, of San Diego, Calif., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a three-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for multiple prohibited substances.
Bringas, 30, tested positive for heptaminol, ibutamoren, and oxilofrine, as well as GW1516 (GW501516) metabolites GW1516 sulfone and GW1516 sulfoxide, as the result of an in-competition drug test conducted at the 2022 USA Weightlifting National Championships on July 1, 2022.
Heptaminol and oxilofrine are Specified Substances in the class of Stimulants and are prohibited in competition only. Ibutamoren is prohibited at all times as a Non-Specified Substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics. GW1516 is also prohibited at all times as a Non-Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators.
The athlete also tested positive for an anabolic agent. His urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test known as Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), which is capable of measuring the carbon isotope ratio of urinary steroids and confirming their synthetic origin—in this case, testosterone or its precursors. IRMS is a powerful tool that unequivocally differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and AAS of synthetic origin. Anabolic agents like testosterone are Non-Specified Substances prohibited at all times and have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities that can give an athlete an unfair advantage over fellow competitors.
These substances are prohibited 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 (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Under Article 10.8.1 of the 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, Bringas qualified for a one-year reduction to the otherwise applicable four-year period of ineligibility.
Bringas’s three-year period of ineligibility began on August 22, 2022, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Bringas has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on and subsequent to July 1, 2022, 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 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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