Greg Pizza catches break from USADA: Only 20-month suspension
Greg at recent Mt. SAC.
The news release continued:
Pizza’s 20-month period of ineligibility began on September 11, 2015, the date his provisional suspension was imposed, and the period of ineligibility expires on May 10, 2017. As a result of the doping violation, Pizza has also been disqualified from all competitive results achieved between July 25, 2015, the date of his positive test, and September 11, 2015, the date his provisional suspension began, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as all 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 as well as performance-enhancing and psychoactive drugs.
In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, periodic newsletters, and protocol and policy reference documentation.
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.
30 Responses
I think it’s important to note that Greg went through this incredibly grueling arbitration process at the urging of many, many Masters T&F athletes, especially those who are in the same predicament as he; facing the choice of either competing or following doctors orders.
Greg was not given “a break”, he was assigned a sanction based on the findings of the arbitrators. The arbitrators were exceedingly professional and engaged throughout the entire, very long day. They were indulgent and considerate of the fact that we were not attorneys and asked insightful questions. Their findings were pretty close to what we asked and hoped for.
Included in the main issues presented at the arbitration was the lack of education provided by USADA and USATF to masters athletes resulting in a general lack of understanding about drug polices. We hope that efforts will be stepped up to be certain that all masters receive a higher level of education as is currently given to Olympic, Paralympic, Pam American, ParaPan American and Youth Olympic athletes. If masters are going to be subjected to the same rules, they should receive the same level of education. Currently the USOC requires the above groups to undergo mandatory education prior to competing, but there is no such requirement for masters. We also attempted to illuminate the need for consideration of the particular medical needs of masters athletes. That masters, for the most part, do not take medications to enhance performance, but do take them under doctors orders for health reasons.
If you closely read the arbitration findings, they are quite encouraging, see (page16) #69: “The objective situation here is that a typical masters athlete when competing in the culture of fun, recreational events such as the USATF masters competitions might not perceive that he needs to undertake an education in the anti-doping rules and thereby learn he needs to to apply for a TUE to take the TRT prescribed by his doctor. The education was available from USADA through USATF, but the masters community is not aware of the anti-doping program in the same manner as the elite athletes are” …. ” The full standard of care described in CILIC regarding reading the label, cross-checking ingredients against the prohibited list, making an internet search etc. is a standard applicable to a reasonable person in an elite athletes’ situation. This is not the standard in the community of masters athletes. If that is the standard expected of these athletes, there was no general awareness of it.”
Also, see (page 16) #70: “The degree of fault is influenced by the subjective elements specifically referenced in the WADA Code definition of fault, i.e. Respondent’s experience and the degree of risk he perceived in light of his personal capacities”. … “Respondent had never ben drug tested in this thirteen years of masters competition, and he certainly should have perceived a risk in taking the TRT, but the Panel accepts his explanation the he understood the TRT to be irrelevant as a prohibited substance since he was still within the normal range of testosterone. He did not perceive that exogenous testosterone was what was tested and prohibited. In that situation, he did not perceive any risk, even had he considered that he was subject to doping control He was taking the TRT to enhance his well-being and general health, not to gain an advantage over his competitors”. … “The elite athletes are required to know about the Prohibited Substances list and to do their research. The culture of those athletes is completely different. They are regularly made aware of the risks. The Panel finds it is relevant that the masters track and field athletes in the 60+ age group believe that these anti-doping rules do not apply to their doctor prescribed treatments. This is simply not something these athletes are paying attention to.”
Greg’s sanction was the minimum that the Panel, under the rules, could hand out, a very satisfactory outcome and we are very grateful to the arbitration panel for all their hard work and their very reasonable decision.
Very pleased with the outcome and appreciative of Amanda’s summary of arbitration process . I look forward to seeing Greg back out on the track .
Winning attitude!!!
I commend Greg & National Masters News,, as I and my wife were in the camp of encouraging him to continue with this arbitration. I being a long time user of Testosterone and know full well how it can improve a seniors life.. Unfortunately this still leaves open the question as to why Masters athletes are considered and treated as ‘elite’ . All one has to do is go to the USATF Jr. Nat. Championships and see that most Masters females cannot defeat the best 10-11 year old girls, and the males unable to defeat the best 11-12 year old boys. Their needs to be a shift by the governing bodies to understand that while our Masters athletes are indeed incredible , they are not ‘elite’, and as a result the medical/drug needs of a aging athletic population need to be considered . Look at the participation rate of our meets and you can see the decline , not entirely due to drug considerations for certain, but wait until the next two generations approach their retirement and want to get back into the game—They are being bombarded with HRT information on TV, and will undoubtedly be taking it . The science is there as to what represents a ‘normal’ level for many of the missing hormones in seniors. If T & F is only going to have the perfect and lucky genetic few to participate–the sport is dead.
good luck to Greg’s competitors who are not on steroids..
Come on Milan lighten up! This is Masters Track. This is about staying healthy, doing something we love and seeing good friends.
I’ve had 4 knee surgeries including a total knee replacement 2 weeks ago. I really miss Master’s Track. If by some miracle I’m able to ever run again the last thing I’m worried about is the guy in the lane next to me. The more competitors the better. There are very few older runners who aren’t on medication or require surgery. We shouldn’t exclude them. After all, who wants to run in a meet alone or with only a handful of people?
I totally agree with Don Schaefer’s comments above. He has the right outlook on track and it’s place in our life. Relax, enjoy your races and don’t worry about others.
I find myself in agreement with Milan and with Don. Because of health issues that often go with aging, I totally agree that we should look at Masters athletes differently from the elite athletes but at the same time, I have been able to find the drug information so it is available and after reading the entire decision, I think it came down to the question of was Greg really unable to get the necessary information or did he just chose to ignore it and hope that he would not be tested. We will never know for sure but is it a level playing field if I follow the rules and another athlete chooses not to and gains an advantage?
What an odd coincidence that some of our sport’s highest profile superstars – Pizza, Barnwell, Coushay, Jager, et al – who have been banned, are apparently among the least well informed among us when it comes to legal and illegal substances. Go figure.
To Michael D Walker – please provide the link on here so we can all read the rules.
I am not leaving my name. This is a joke. The sport is incredibly dirty. Why should we or anybody really care. I got news for you. I have broken a world record and I am confident I could do it in a meet. I am not using anything, but this sport or WADA and the other federations are allowing the athletes to use and then bust this guy. LOL. He should do what I do which is not compete and just train and be healthy. If you want to take, then take use the records as a measuring stick.
Did the meeting provide additional contacts for future discussions between masters athletes and the agency? Hopefully doors have been open for further future discussions.
Eric—This might be what you’re looking for:
http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2016/USATF-Masters-Outdoor-Championships/Athlete-Info/Drug-Testing.aspx.
The site that Ed lists is a good source of information. I did was go to the usatf.org web site. Cick on the tab “About’ and scroll down to antidoping. About three months ago, I sent a list of the medications that I take and got an answer very quickly.
The recommended site that is in partnership with the 5 world anti doping agencies is GLOBAL DRO
It is used by coaches and athletes the world over, to verify prohibited and not prohibited drugs–Supplements are not included in their data base.
I enjoy working out, I do not like competitions all that much. In my mind if you need surgery have a surgery. Nobody argues against that. If you need drugs for your health, take drugs. Your health should come first, competition second. Enjoy the training, compete in smaller competitions and stay away from Nationals and World Championships. Competitions where people on HGH and testosterone compete against “clean” athletes do not make much sense anyway. And one more thing, if you get caught do not argue that you did not know or that you are too stupid to understand the rules….
It will be interesting to see where the market is in 20-30 years from now with all of the money to be made in hormone replacement therapy. My hunch is there will be a huge downside to all of these short time claims of benefits..well see. As far as athletics go, its’ a slippery slope to allow for any federation to ok PERFORMANCE enhancing drugs that give people an unfair advantage over other competitors who can’t afford or aren’t prescribed them. There is no doubt many are and will abuse the argument that “I need them for my generally health and they only get get me to the normal levels of my competitors”
People want to win and unfortunately, there is a significant group in masters track that feel that cheating is ok if it gets them a win. Should the rules be relaxed for older athletes – sure but even then, there will still be those that cheat.
I have no problem with the reduction in the ban. What I do have a problem with is his failure to include it in the list of drugs/supplements reported, he failed to include it, which is a PRESCRIBED drug, and to my knowledge one most frequently abused. I have only been competing since 2010, and carry my list of prescription/supplements with me. I am fully aware, at 76 yrs ago, when, God forbid, might medal or get tested. As the hearing summary noted, this was one of their biggest concerns, not listing it on his records. Sorry, Charlie, not much sympathy from me.
to PED
Why don’t you find out what you are talking about before you anonymously mouth off ? As has been pointed out many times in the course of this situation,Greg Pizza is not a super star . He is a solid sprinter who loves the sport.
Here’s my detailed Times of San Diego story on Greg’s case, which quotes some of the comments here and also USATF spokeswoman Jill Geer and Striders President Joe Ruggless, who testified at AAA hearing;
http://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2016/07/23/vista-sprinter-66-doping-case-cleared-return-may-2017/
Response to Poster #4: Correction. M60-64 age group would whup the boys 11-12 age group.
http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2016/USATF-Hershey-Youth-Outdoor-Championships/Results/HTML-Results.aspx
The boys 13-14 age group, though, is tough.
Sigh, kind of depressing to think that my 1.50 high jump would have tied me with the winner of the 12 year old boys group, and placed me 4th in the 13 to 14 year old group.
As an elite-level masters competitor (I’ve won a number of WVA championships and set many USATF masters age-group records), the claim that Pizza did not know that his testosterone supplementation was going to give him an unfair advantage over the athletes his age who were not doping with testosterone is a whopper of a lie, an act that is as unethical as his original decision to dope. Pizza cheated. He got caught. He worked the system to get his 4-year ban reduced. I think it is a shame. I’m very glad that I’m not a sprinter in his age group! I don’t want to compete against any athlete who is doping now or who has doped in the past. The recent research on doping indicates that it has long-term anabolic effects, perhaps forever. The doper builds muscle cells during the doping period that do not simply disappear after the doping period is concluded. Cheats of any age should be banned for life, in my opinion. When I was competing at the open level, I finished behind athletes later revealed to have been doping. I think that doping in athletics should be a criminal offense. Those who beat me by doping are literally stealing from me and from other athletes who are not doping, whether these dopers are in their 20s or in their 60s. I think it is wrong that Justin Gatlin and other proven dopers are allowed to compete and I think it is wrong that Greg Pizza will be allowed to compete again.
Can you imagine this scenario? You are a masters athlete, 60 years old and workouts seem to be getting tougher and tougher to do. You feel weak, lack energy and the repercussions of this spill over into your personal life…jeopardizing your relationship.
But then you discover…with the help of your doctor a miracle cure to all your problems. He starts injecting you with regular testosterone shots…and by golly, it works! You are thrilled that in your workouts, you feel 20 years younger. You can work out longer, are getting dramatically stronger and recover much, much quicker than you could before the testosterone shots.
You are so elated you can’t wait to tell all of your “friends” at the track of your new discovery because after all, masters track is just for recreation and fun, right? You would definitely want to help out your friends if you found something this good, wouldn’t you?
Shockingly, none of these “friends” ever said a word to this poor guy that he cannot take testosterone and also compete in the U.S. Masters Nationals anymore because there, you may get tested.
Sadly,nobody “anywhere” in this person’s life told him this fact…his athlete friends including some who are experts in track and field competitions as they may be… none said a word about it to him.
Plus he doesn’t read the paper or listen to any news stories because “masters people can be computer illiterate” so he never heard news stories such as the entire Russian Team getting banned from the Olympics for steroids and has never heard of Lance Armstrong or the hundreds of other athletes getting banned for life from their sport due to testosterone and steroid injections.
So basically it sounds like this person got thrown to the wolves…by the people in his life who care about him by failing to educate him on the illegality of competing on banned substances and knowing he was going to Jacksonville to compete in the National Championships. Friends like that, who needs enemies? Oh, well, live and learn.
Re: With friends like this
Funny 🙂
Re: with friends like this: it is funny but pretty much sums it up
Ah, the riseable but effective Hillary defense. Athletes and PEDs are in the news almost daily. Try and find a NON-ATHLETE over age 6 who hasn’t heard of doping. “Uneducated about doping?” Yeah right. Also, Mr. Pizza cold endure a “grueling” arbitration but not the TUE process. Why? Would the prescribing doctor tell a different story than his patient? I don’t dope, but I’m not too upset that others do, as it provides a great excuse for getting beat.
At the “grueling” arbitration, Greg Pizza testified that masters track is all about fun, and camaraderie, and good health. Of course, when they was interviewed by this website in 2015, he and Ms. Scotti sang a different tune!
“Certainly, you’re the fastest masters couple I know of!
Amanda: I really like the sound of that!
Greg: Our sprinters mentality rolls over to many parts of our lives, we like to run fast, drive fast and have a similar drive and energy to succeed and experience what life offers.
Greg and Amanda: We’re racing in the Palm Desert Senior Games on Valentine’s Day. Seems like a great way to spend it. The following weekend we’ll race at the Arizona Senior Games. We’ve set a goal to attempt to each medal in every state’s games. Might take us a while; should be fun!”
http://masterstrack.com/amanda-scotti-greg-pie-za-mark-first-valentines-day-meet/
Which is fine. It’s human nature to want to win, be recognized, have your photo on masterstrack.com, amass a collection of shiny medals to show off to friends and family, etc., whether you’re an Olympian or an octogenarian.
Maybe we should just allow doping but have separate medals for dopers and non-dopers at major masters meets, separate rankings for dopers and non-dopers, separate AA standards, and the like.
You would have to live under a rock to not at least suspect that taking testosterone might be a problem. He knew what he was doing. He’s a grown man. When I developed seasonal allergies, I researched all the websites out there to make sure any meds that I took weren’t banned or restricted. The information is out there and at our respective ages we should be sophisticated enough to find it.
This guy’s testosterone level has gotten low as he aged. I’m sure the natural levels in all masters men are dropping every day, some more than others. We age and we get slower and weaker. At this point it’s a race to see who slows down less each year. That’s life. You compete with what you’ve got.
If your overall quality of life is at stake from Low T and you need the testosterone but still want an active life, go rock climbing or kayaking or run. But don’t compete because taking testosterone is against the rules.
How is Low T any different than a devastating orthopedic injury? It isn’t except for the fact that there is a drug that can make you better than you ever would have been.
People in competitive sport are always looking for the edge. The rules restrict us from using an edge that is determined to be unfair, unsafe, etc. Play by the rules.
Great update on TUE situation for testosterone:
http://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/tue-inequality-sloan-teeples-testosterone-story/
Leave a Reply