Kay Serrar wrote:
klehner wrote:
Is nobody paying attention? If you are a member of USATriathlon, you can be tested out-of-competition at any time: Quote:
The primary focus of the anti-doping program is on elite athletes competing in the Olympic discipline. As a USA Triathlon member you may be subject to testing at an event or even out of competition. While testing of age-group athletes is not common, it can happen and all athletes/members should be aware of their rights and responsibilities as it relates to anti-doping procedures. To learn more about the testing process and your rights and responsibilities as an athlete, please visit www.usada.org/testing.WTC need not add any threatening letters to Kona qualifiers or anyone else.
This is great on paper, but completely useless in practice, and they even say in the quote "testing of age-group athletes is not common". Talk about waving a white flag! So yes, WTC could be doing more, as could USAT. Targeting a few pointy-end athletes for random OOC testing would be a start, and publicising this testing and the results on their websites and in USAT's magazine would help too. Anything to increase the perception that, as an AG athlete, you might face a random test. Because right now, the perception is that the only way you will be tested is by winning your AG at Kona or the Nationals, and that's not a drug policy, it's just paying lip service.
But again, neither USAT or WTC have a vested interest in busting a bunch of AGers. It could be damaging to the popularity of the sport.
Or, as Dan indicated, out of the fear of a major lawsuit by an accused Wall Street triathlete whose job is threatened by some positive finding.
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"Go yell at an M&M"