U.S. Weightlifting Athlete Robert Strange Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

USADA announced today that Robert Strange, of Solana Beach, Calif., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a one-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.

 

Strange, 83, tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Masters World Championships on August 16, 2019. DHEA is a non-Specified Substance in the category of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the IWF Anti-Doping Policy, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

 

Strange placed first in his age and weight category at the IWF Masters World Championships and his sample was collected by IWF Masters, which referred the case to USADA for results management under the Code because he is a U.S. athlete.

 

Under the Code, an athlete’s period of ineligibility for using a prohibited substance may be reduced if the athlete’s anti-doping rule violation was unintentional and the athlete lacks significant fault for the violation. After a thorough review, USADA determined that a one-year suspension was appropriate because Strange used an over-the-counter DHEA supplement at the direction of a physician.

 

Strange’s one-year period of ineligibility began on August 16, 2019, the date his positive sample was collected. Because his positive sample

was collected in-competition, Strange’s competitive results obtained on and subsequent to that date have been disqualified, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.