Drug-testing debuts at USATF masters nationals, and not quietly

Got drug-tested?

As promised, USATF has begun drug-testing at masters nationals for the first time in history. Berea entrants are the guinea pigs of an experiment to see whether “random” testing of a fraction of a small percentage of athletes will catch or deter cheaters. We’ll see. One athlete’s report follows. I’d love to hear more. The entrant write: “I believe the aggressive stance taken by USATF recently and the almost obnoxious repetition of the warning that drug testing would be conducted in Berea also has worked. … For those of us who have competed clean and have observed the obvious — sometimes, even admitted — use of banned substances, this is a very good development.”


Masters mole No. 455c(3) writes:

Wanted to let you know that drug testing — at least in the throwing events — is alive and well. The winners in three of the six events I watched or participated in were drug tested. This is three more tests than I have seen at nationals in all my … masters career.

In fact, one newcomer to the sport upon seeing a shot put winner openly marched away for testing, asked me how many times I had been tested. When I told him that I had never been tested — despite … national championships and world titles … he was stunned — mainly because of the big campaign by these organizers warning of the testing.

Importantly, the testing at Berea has been high profile, with the officials grabbing the winners immediately after the last throw, loudly announcing the need for testing in front of all the other competitors, leading them off to the clearly marked doping tent in front of God and country, and making them stand in the tent completely observable to any passers-by until nature called.

I believe the aggressive stance taken by USATF recently and the almost obnoxious repetition of the warning that drug testing would be conducted in Berea also has worked. A number of suspected cheats did not attend the meet, and any other competitors contemplating the use of PEDs got the message this week.

For those of us who have competed clean and have observed the obvious — sometimes, even admitted — use of banned substances, this is a very good development. Like many others, I have seen the warnings about testing for so many years — with no tests ever done — that I assumed it was a ruse again. In fact, I was shocked, but delighted, when I saw the first winner get grabbed and escorted away. As … my old friend and great champion for many years said: “It’s about time!”

This “carpet bombing” of intense advertising and actual drug testing already has sent a shock wave through the throwing community with the no-shows and the buzz created at the meet and at numerous dinners afterwards. If we get some positive tests and they are publicized appropriately, then the loop will have been closed; and we may actually have clean meets.

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July 30, 2011

21 Responses

  1. Quick Silver - July 30, 2011

    Your mole is confusing sample taking with drug testing. Taking samples is cheap; testing them is not. But if your objective is deterrence, actual testing is unneccesary.

    Quick Silver
    Hong Kong

  2. Ken Stone - July 30, 2011

    A friend writes: “It appears if you set a world record you get tested plus some random testing. Thad and Khalid get pulled into testing right away. Charles Allie got tested and M30 Leonidas Watson long jumped 25 feet and got tested. Kathy Jager was in the tent too.”

  3. Mary harada - July 31, 2011

    A 75 year old athlete was tested as well, so some older ones are targeted as well. I am waiting to hear if they select anyone 85 or 90.
    While this carpet bombing sends a message, I think it is a bit over the top to claim that the no-shows are staying away because of drug testing. This may be true for some, why would people sign up, pay the fees, and then get cold feet about the testing when the new policy was known in advance?
    Testing has been done at the Worlds for years and without a “perp” walk.
    After this big show, will we ever hear the results? It would be far more convincing to hear officially that x number were tested and there were no positives etc, than silence.

  4. West Coast Sprinter - July 31, 2011

    I think having the world meet so close to the national championships decreased the number of participants, not the threat of drug testing.

    There was not much talk about collecting samples in Sacto,were samples collected.

    I like the idea of the ‘perp’ walk, if an athlete has nothing to hide he/she will look forward to the walk. I agree that the results should be made public.

    How are athletes being selected for testing? Is it random, based on the event or based on your performance that day?

  5. Anthony Treacher - July 31, 2011

    It is good that athletes were tested. What does a test cost?

  6. Milton Girouard - July 31, 2011

    I’m for drug testing at all Championships… But what your mole seems to be describing is more like a physical assault and public humliation. So your mole is actually saying the doping official can not quietly approach the athlete and ask him to gather his, or her belongings and casually walk with him/her to the doping tent and it is a directive of the USATF to be agressive and humiliate an athlete publically before being found guilty of anything? If some official physically grabs me immediatley after my last throw in an event that I’ve won and doesn’t allow me a few seconds to enjoy the moment and shake the hands of my competitiors that altogether would only take a minute or two, while at the same time the official is loudly yelling out to everyone one that I need to be drug tested “Gastapo” style…the official may find they’ll have more pressing concerns of their own dislodging a size 13 throwing shoe out of their ass…”Roid Rage” you ask? No way…it’s “Au Naturel” or better said… just having pair. You also got to love the smarmy comment by your mole, “Wanted to let you know that drug testing -at least in the throwing events- is alive and well” So the focus is on the throwing events is it? LOL! There are a few well publicized Master’s runners and muli-eventers I’d like to see tested on a regular basis and what would your poor hearts do if they were found guilty of doping?… what would that do to the image of Master’s T&F. Who cares if a thrower gets the boot, but not one of our running darlings! Reality is non throwing or weightlifting event athletes are now making up for more and more of the dopers being caught than strength events. Let’s just name a few caught doping at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, you had a male Bahrain Gold medal winner in the 1,500 get caught doping ,A female Ukraine heptathlete, A Greek race walker, A cyclist from Spain, a female cyclist from Germany, A North Korean shooter and two Hammers throwers from Belarus to name a few. Not to mention our own little darling dopers of the recent past that nobody wanted to see get caught like middle to long distance runner Mary Decker Slaney in 1996, Middle to long distance runner, Regina Jacobs in 2003 and many, many more. So test away at Championship meets, just give the athlete some diginity when being asked for testing and test all equally, including those cute and fuzzy little runners we just love so much… ;~)

  7. leigh - July 31, 2011

    The USADA guy quietly, yet not secretly, made his intentions to test one of my friends at Worlds (YES A THROWER) before he finished his event. Now I think that is a distraction and certainly not cool when you still have throws to take. It didn’t bother my friend…he was just worried about being able to give a sample and started chugging liquids. I hope the circumstances at Nationals are being exaggerated…It just sounds obnoxious.
    I have to comment on the whole “mole” thing. I found that report pretty offensive. Did you notice how few in total, not just throwers, were at Nationals. I seriously doubt people are avoiding being drug tested…we just had a huge, expensive 2 wk long meet called Worlds. No shock waves going around in the Az throwing circle.

  8. Stefan Waltermann - July 31, 2011

    If I observed it correctly, more high profile runners than throwers were asked for samples. Finally, we’re all given a chance to proof that we are clean. And yes, they selected multi-eventers as well. For all I care they could test me any day, even on vacation in Jamaica.

  9. Mary Harada - July 31, 2011

    The two athletes who told me they had been drug tested are runners – not throwers, and did not suggest that it was done in a humiliating manner. Apparently one has time to do whatever needed before the test -including going to a medal ceremony, back to the hotel etc – as long as the tester accompanies that person. I think the “mole’s report is a bit dramatic.

  10. Rob D'Avellar - July 31, 2011

    Reporting if someone tests positive is one thing, but reporting who was in the drug testing tent seems a little like the National Enquirer to me.

    Being tested should not automatically arouse suspicion, especially if the tests were in some degree random.

    Why not wait until the results are known before linking specific names to testing?

  11. Nolan Shaheed - July 31, 2011

    I was standing next to a runner named Charles, after the 400ms, when an official informed him that he was to be drug tested. The official didn’t broadcast the announcement nor did he grab Charles. Although I was standing right there, I heard nothing until Charles told me he was to be tested.

    I was surprised and so was Charles so we politely asked”why Chareles” and the official told us that the races were randomly picked not the runners. In other words, it had been pre determined that testing would be done on the 1st and 5th runner of this event and the 2nd and 4th thrower of that event ect.

    I thought it was a great idea because there was no profiling so there was no shame being tested, if you understand the system.

    I also liked the fact that the tent was very obvious as it was adjacent to the check in tent and next to the short path leading to the track and close to the throwing field so if you had something to hide,you could simply not check in and go home.

    Chareles and I decided that the random testing was acually good for him because when you run at the elite level, there is always someone who will doubt your integrate so a negative reading will show that he is the greatest, on his own merrit.

  12. Joe Kessell - August 1, 2011

    I say “test them all” Why be afraid if you have nothing to hide.

    Take a look see at some of the entrants (U.S.) that didn’t show up for the Worlds or the Nationals.

    The purpose of the test is to keep it fair for all those that train without enhancements.

    Let’s not make this political or gender/age biased. Enough already with all that dialogue.

    Add the few bucks extra for the test with each fee imposed to enter the meet.

    Joe Kessell

  13. Don Young - August 2, 2011

    “So test away at Championship meets, just give the athlete some diginity when being asked for testing and test all equally, including those cute and fuzzy little runners we just love so much… ;~)”
    Some of us are fuzzy but not that cute 🙂
    I joke with my patients that it would be cool to be tested as they think I’m a threat 🙂 So far no go on either count alas ;p

  14. keith McQuitter - August 2, 2011

    didnt seem that any testing was done on the m50 decathlon runners at sac some of the things done by some mostly the throws needed to be look into,some have said my hurdle run on day two was out of the water ,but im not one to gossip so you didnt hear it from me.

  15. Mike Shiaras - August 2, 2011

    Joe, you know how I feel about this stuff, and I could not agree with you more. You took the words out of my mouth concerning no-shows.

    Mary and Leigh, no one would argue that the significantly fewer entries (given Senior Olympics and Sacto so close in time) were the result of testing. But Joe is correct that suspicions were raised concerning elite athletes who did not compete in Sacto or Berea.

    Concerning notification of athletes, I was at the remote hammer venue watching a couple fellow Arizonans when two golf carts rolled up onto the field, and the drug official notified the winner of one of the groups. There was no arm twisting or dragging off of the lucky thrower. However, his entire group of fellow competitors, the next group starting to warm up, and all of us spectators were made abundantly aware that he was being tested. In fact, the drug official even shot the breeze with us while he waited for the thrower to collect his belongings.

    As for the shock wave, I must disagree with my old pal Leigh. Whether the term shocked, surprised, or stunned is used, I can tell you that the look on the face of one athlete selected for testing the first day was all of the above. Those of us standing in the rain at that venue got a good jolt as well, which has carried over. If the powers that be persevere, this will clean up our sport.

    In all, I am aware of 10-12 athletes who I saw being selected, observed at the tent, or who told me later of their test. There should be no shame in being tested, as the officials kept saying that the selections were random and decided before the meet based upon final placings in the various events chosen for testing.

    Mr. Quick Silver from Hong Kong, I doubt that the sample gathering was bogus with no tests to follow. Several athletes have told me that they were to receive a letter in a couple months with results of the test. Thin letter telling you that you passed, or a thick letter with appeal forms and the like. If no testing of samples, everyone would “pass.” Not much deterrent if a user gets a pass letter.

  16. Panama Kid - August 2, 2011

    Shiaras:”thick letter with appeal forms and the like” (lol,lol)

  17. leigh - August 2, 2011

    OH MIKE you’re killing me…I love my happy little PED -free world where all the pretty people play sports for fun and train hard because they love the feeling it gives them !! ( and please tell me I’m not going to be feeling any shockwaves in AZ!!!) BTW My buddy told me he was only to be notified about his test results if they were positive.

  18. Bubba Sparks - August 3, 2011

    I have no problem with the testing but it would be nice if it were updated for common simple drugs we fossils are sometimes required take. I was curious why our drug testing fee was $6.25 per athlete for Sacto and I belive $20 or $25 per athlete for Cleveland.

  19. Panama Kid - August 3, 2011

    BUBBA:Gas cost more in Ohio.(lol)

  20. Panama Kid - August 4, 2011

    To All the “who’s your daddy” haters:A few blogs ago “daddy” got hammered when he WONDERED why Gault never competed at National competitions…Quite a few of you on this blog are equating the SAME FOR THE “NO SHOWS” at Berea.Could it be they ran out of MONEY,OR THEY ARE TIRED FROM from Houston and Sacto, or maybe the pulled HAMMIE.See you at the next meet “daddy”

  21. Rob D'Avellar - August 4, 2011

    Panama Kid is right. Casting aspersions on no-shows…or people seen in the vicinity of the drug-testing tent, etc…makes drug-testing seem like a McCarthy-esque witch hunt.

    The time for discussion is when the results are in.

    Let’s just hope that somebody’s innocent combination of “older people’s” medications doesn’t produce a false positive.

    Then, we will REALLY have something to talk about.

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