M50 decastar Coushay accepts 2-year ban in Jax doping case
USADA on Friday released this shocking news. I’ll reach out to “Coush” for his side of the story. “Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 23, 2015) – USADA announced today that Brian Coushay, of Beaverton, Ore., an athlete in the sport of track & field, has tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a two-year suspension for his doping offense. Coushay, 51, tested positive for Amphetamine as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected on July 25, 2015 at the National Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville, Fla. Amphetamine is a substance in the class of Stimulants prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and International Association of Athletics Federations (“IAAF”) Anti‐Doping Rules, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.” Brian is the listed M50 American record-holder in the decathlon, from 2014. At Jax nationals, he did just two events (long jump and discus) and didn’t medal. Smells like targeted testing, not “random.”
The USADA release continued:
After a thorough review of the case, USADA concluded that Coushay did not use Amphetamine with the intent to enhance his athletic performance. Thus, USADA determined that a 2-year period of ineligibility, rather than the standard four-year period of ineligibility, was the appropriate sanction for Coushay’s anti-doping rule violation.
Coushay’s two-year period of ineligibility began on September 9, 2015, the date a provisional suspension was imposed. As a result of the violation, Coushay has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to July 25, 2015, the date his sample was collected, 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 recreational 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.
16 Responses
I am not familiar with the testing protocol at the Masters Nationals so don’t understand your comment about “targeted testing”. If Coushay did not medal and was tested, could not random testing. Please explain.
As Brian’s friend and long-time training partner, I have to leave a reply in his defense. Although he can speak for himself and divulge any of the circumstances he wishes to, I’m completely confident that the misfortune is inadvertent. Anybody who knows Brian will agree with this. Brian embodies the spirit of competition and would never cheat. It is a “teachable moment” I suppose, though, in that it shows that everybody has to be very careful about what we ingest because lots of things might have banned subs in them. For the younger elite folks, I’m sure they are absolutely scrupulous about every thing they put in their body, but for we masters, we just don’t necessarily think that way day in and day out.
Brian and I started running together 10 years ago, he had already done some masters track and got me hooked on it. From time to time he told me I should try the decathlon again, to which I said “you’re crazy”. Well, after watching Bryan Clay win the trials in 2008, I told him I wanted to start training for the dec again(we were 44), and he said, “OK, I will too”, like someone would say Oh, you’re going to the store? I’ll go along… He didn’t have any experience in any of the events except the sprints and LJ and HJ, but we trained together, I helped him out a little, and by last year he got to the point where he easily broke the M50 decathlon US record. He worked through a very bad patellar tendon injury back in ’10 and ’11 and stuck with it. Either he or I have won the national decathlon in our age group 7 years in a row now, trading off through our injuries.
Anyway, everyone will miss him for the next couple years, but I’m sure he’ll be welcomed back after that. nuff said.
Just wondering, Wouldnt coffee or mountain dew be a stimulant, or 5 hour drink?
I agree with Chris.
This is very sad news indeed. The release said the prohibited substance was taken not taken to enhance performance and I am sure that this was just inadvertent.
I hope to compete against him again in a couple of years.
To me, the fact that non-medalists were tested is evidence that the tests were indeed random.
Ken, I don’t understand your comment about “targeted testing, not random”. In random testing, everyone who competes should have the same chance of being selected for testing. If only the winners get selected for testing, then I would suspect targeted testing.
Steven, since testing is expensive, few tests are done. That has led me and others to suspect that meet organizers “target” certain athletes to get the most bang for their buck.
Ken
By this comment Ken do you mean this guy was on a list to be controlled as being known like suspect
The Brian Coushay I have come to know over the years is an honorable competitor who is a superior athlete.
I can tell you from 1st hand knowledge/experience that PED testing at our National Championships are completely random. Names of competitors are never mentioned only placement in the heat/finals are designated for tests. The testers have no idea who we are. To them we are just another athlete. Meet organizers are too busy putting out fires to bother with such nonsense.
Just more blather and grist from Ken.
Mike Travers
I for one fail to see the problem with targeting testing, if it even exists, testing is expensive and if all athletes are competing cleanly then being targeted and tested is of no consequence. I do not know Brian but by everyones reaction it would appear this was an honest mistake.
Re items #7 and #8, I hope that being identified for testing does not imply that one is a suspect. In 2012,
I was tested both in the USA Masters Indoor Championships in Bloomington, IN., on March 20,12, and then again at the USA Masters Outdoor in Isle, IL, on August 4,12. In both cases it was right after breaking world records. I assumed that was the reason. But testing athletes over 75 seems to be wasting money.
The master TF it’s rare, the justice is different, with only cross the border. In US by doping 2 years and in Mexico to someone who never was doped, has 73 golds and by some local socialmedia is suspended lifetime. would someone explain to me? or maybe the WMA.
I have known Brian for 15 years and am certain he would never knowingly ingest a performance enhancing substance—he just doesn’t need it! I hope he continues to join Chris Bates and me at our indoor training venue.
I have also been tested—at the indoor Hept Championships. If not targeted, it was an interesting coincidence that it was just as I had set the highest masters score ever. I felt it was a chance to show the mark was legit so there would never be a question. I don’t consider targeting to be a problem—even if it does exist.
I feel for those individuals whose records were broken by an individual who had an unfair advantage by taking a performance enhancing substance. Does the penalty void performances within a period of time prior to the date of the discovery of the improper use of a performance enhancing substance? If not, I think there should be unless of course testing was done at the time of the record setting performance and the testing was negative. Just my opinion….
Hey Bob Hewitt- thank you for your support! Bob is an terrific competitor!! He has the highest point total of all master decathleltes. Like Bob, I am all for target testing and I am glad I was tested. Hopefully, people can learn from my mistake. When taking any medication do not rely solely on the usada ban substance list do more investigation.
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