USADA announced today that Paralympic cycling athlete Katerina Brim of Lowell, Michigan has accepted a one-year ban for anti-doping rule violation after being denied a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
““This is another case that demonstrates the need for a fairer and more equitable global anti-doping system.” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. “The rules are supposed to capture and punish athletes who deliberately try to gain an advantage over their opponents, not honest athletes who need to be treated for life-long medical conditions. After consultation with independent medical professionals, Brim was given a retroactive TUE in accordance with the rules based on the equity and exceptional circumstances of her case, and it was extremely disappointing to see the TUE broken.”
Brim, 24, correctly declared that the WADA-approved laboratory had reported negative use of Humalog (Insulin Lispro) by injection during an out-of-competition test on October 19, 2022. Insulin is an Unspecified Substance in the Hormone and Metabolic Regulators class and has always been prohibited under the USADA Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing Protocol, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Cycling Association. The Anti-Doping Rules have all adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA Prohibited List.
Brim had been in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for only 19 days at the time of testing and had not applied for or received a TUE required to authorize use of a prohibited substance in sports. After an investigation, USADA determined that Brim was using a therapeutic dose of insulin under physician supervision to treat diabetes, a lifelong disease. Consistent with the advice of independent medical experts on USADA’s TUE Committee, he applied for and was eligible for a retroactive TUE effective October 19, 2022, the date of his first test as an RTP athlete by USADA. However, WADA twice rejected the grounds that caused USADA to issue the retroactive TUE, meaning that Brim did not have a valid TUE in effect at the time of sampling. Therefore, USADA was required to impose a sanction with a minimum period of non-compliance of at least one year under the rules.
WADA requests information about the updated version of the Prohibited List each year. USADA has advocated and will continue to advocate for policymaker WADA to change the rules on insulin to ensure that athletes with diabetes can treat this lifelong condition without the unnecessary burden of continuing TUE and without disproportionate sanctions for failing. by doing so.
Brim’s one-year disqualification period is the minimum allowed by the rules and began on October 19, 2022, when she declared that she was using insulin. In addition, Brim was disqualified from all competitive results on and after October 19, 2022; including reclaiming medals, points and prizes.
In an effort to help athletes and support team members such as parents and coaches understand the rules that apply to them, USADA provides comprehensive instructions on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to file and update the athlete. where, how to get permission to use a necessary medicine and the risks and dangers of taking it supplementsas well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
USADA also administers a drug reference line called the Global Drug Reference Online.GlobalDRO.com), organizes training sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a wealth of training materials such as: additional guideA nutrition guideA clean sports handbookand periodic warnings and advice.
USADA provides a variety of ways to report abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sports to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using USADA Play Clean Hint Centerby text message to 87232 (“USADA”), by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view.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 committed to maintaining the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
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Tuesday, 23 May 2023