USADA announced today that Robert Qualls, of Reno, Nev., an athlete in the sport of track and field, has accepted a three-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for multiple prohibited substances.
Qualls, 72, tested positive for amphetamine and 19-norandrosterone (19-NA), a metabolite of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) and other 19-norsteroids as the result of a urine sample collected at the USA Track & Field Masters 5km Championships on February 24, 2024. Additionally, Qualls’s urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test known as Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), that unequivocally differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and AAS of synthetic origin. The IRMS analysis was consistent with the exogenous origin of testosterone and/or its metabolites in Qualls’s sample. USADA was contracted by event organizers to conduct testing and results management for the event and collected Qualls’s sample in accordance with the WADA International Standard for Testing.
Amphetamine, nandrolone, testosterone, and their respective metabolites are all Non-Specified Substances. Amphetamine is in the class of stimulants and nandrolone and testosterone are in the class of anabolic agents, and each substance is 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 World Athletics 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 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, Qualls qualified for a one-year reduction to the otherwise applicable four-year period of ineligibility.
Qualls’s three-year period of ineligibility began on April 2, 2024, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Qualls has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to February 24, 2024, 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 (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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