Former US Athlete Sanctioned

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The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced on Tuesday that former US rower Sebastian Bea would not be eligible to receive the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) benefits during the next year and could not be considered for trials or be part of USOC’s Pan American rowing team next summer.

This sanction was pronounced after Bea failed to submit the quarterly athlete location form required under the USOC policy. This policy states that athletes who have been included in USADA’s out-of-competition testing pool and who have not given written notice of retirement to their national governing body and to USADA must file quarterly athlete location forms.

?I’m sorry that I didn’t either file the required athlete location form or give written notice of my retirement to both USADA and USRA (US Rowing Association), as I now understand the USOC’s rules require,? said Bea.

This coincides with the implemention by the International Rowing Federation (FISA) of a similar program aimed at avoiding recurring problems related to out-of-competition testing. FISA has made it compulsory for all FISA medallists at Senior World Championships or Olympic Games of the previous three seasons to submit a permanent location form by November 30 each year as well as a temporary location form for all changes in planned activities no later that two weeks before travel.

FISA also requires each national federation to submit a competition form listing all competitions to be entered by the national team as well as a summary training camp form and individual training camp forms.

?We regret the problems that Sebastian has encountered, but we support the firm position taken by USADA to operate an effective out-of-competition testing Program,? said FISA Executive Director Matt Smith. ?FISA is now doing the same and we trust that our National Federations are preparing themselves,? he added.

FISA anti doping program forms must be submitted to FISA headquarters by November 30, 2002. For any queries related to this procedure, please contact the FISA headquarters or go to the online FISA rule book.