USADA

Toccata Murphy runs 200-meter dash as W40 in 2014.

Doping July 11, 2023

Toccata Murphy, W50 American record holder in 400, handed 8-month doping ban for DHEA

In July 2022, Toccata Murphy, 53, of Alexis, North Carolina, twice ran 400 meters under 60 seconds — the first American over 50 to do so. She shattered the listed record of 61.02 by Emmanuelle “Emma” McGowan at Málaga worlds in 2018. Her latest record was set at the 2022 Kentucky masters outdoor nationals. But while she was being drug-tested in Lexington, Toccata noted her use of DHEA, which is on the banned list. Her drug test came up negative for any other PEDs, but she’s now accepted an 8-month ban from competition — starting December 9, 2022. (Corrected from…

Scott Gross of Jacksonville, Florida, says he won't stop riding despite 4-year suspension for refusing drug test.

Doping June 5, 2018

Suspended M55 cyclist Scott Gross says he took banned DHEA

When USADA reps showed up at the Florida home of 59-year-old road cyclist Scott Gross at 8:32 p.m. May 3, he refused a drug test. So he drew an automatic 4-year suspension. He didn’t appeal. After posting about Scott’s case a couple weeks ago, I found him through his cycling shop, Open Road Bicycles. He called me, and we chatted for about a half-hour. He told me he refused testing, which he assumed would include drawing blood, because he met the USADA pair in his garage and didn’t think it was a suitable place. He also wasn’t sure the reps…

Here USADA page that invites folks to finger suspected drug cheats — even in the masters ranks.

Doping May 24, 2018

USATF masters are subject to snitch program — as cyclist, 59, was

Nobody is safe. That’s my takeaway from an exchange of email I had Thursday with Brad Horn, a spokesman for USADA — the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. I queried him on how 59-year-old cyclist came to be sanctioned for refusing an out-of-competition drug test. I wanted to know where he was when he was solicited. (Brad doesn’t know yet.) But he said: “Ultimately, this case was the result of target testing, based on credible information received through USADA’s Play Clean Tip Line. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in an effort to protect clean…