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Jessica Hardy Fails Drug Test
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Update: USA Swimming Statement on Ongoing Anti-Doping Proceedings
Just yesterday, things could not have looked better for USA Swimming. Coming off an Olympic Trials where USA Swimming put its best foot forward each evening in front of a nationally televised audience, American swimming basked in the glow of a week where one great story of triumph followed another.
One of the best moments was arguably the stunning victory of Trojan Swim Club's Jessica Hardy in the 100m Breast from lane 2, topping what may have been the most loaded field in the history of the event.
Surfacing today are reports from NBCOlympics.com, and others, that both "A" and "B" samples from one of Jessica Hardy's Olympic Trials drug tests have returned positive for the stimulant clenbuterol.
The positive test result is only half the story. If Hardy is found guilty of doping and the typical punishment is handed down, it will likely result in her expulsion from the team and a subsequent vacancy in four events: the 100m breast, 50m free, 400m free relay, and 400m medley relay.
According to USA Swimming's and the USOC's official selection procedure for the Olympics offered online, the official policy on filling vacancies in events the procedure is the following:
If, for any reason, an additional Team position or an additional event position shall become vacant after July 21, 2008, (entry deadline), no additional members shall be added to the Team. If USA Swimming is permitted to fill a vacant event position, such vacant event position shall be filled with the swimmer already on the Team who has recorded the fastest time in such vacant event during the period beginning January 1, 2006 through July 6, 2008, provided, however, that the replacement swimmer must agree, after consulting with the Head Coach and National Team Head Coach and General Manager, to compete in the additional event. If the replacement swimmer does not agree to swim in the additional event, then the replacement swimmer shall not be considered an Available Swimmer for that event. This process shall repeat until the event is filled.
This would mean that Rebecca Soni, the fourth place finisher in the 100m breast in Omaha, could now be tapped to swim the 100m breast, in addition to the 200m breast, which she won in Omaha. By also applying this same procedure, Kara Lynn Joyce would be offered the opportunity to compete in the 50m free by virtue of her 24.59 effort back at the Missouri Grand Prix in February of this year. Originally, not even on the team and named to the squad after Trials when Dara Torres withdrew from the 100m free, Joyce now could find herself right in the middle of the sprint action in Beijing.
As far as relays go, the result would be up in the air, as USA Swimming would likely have many options for selecting potential replacements in those events.
If a sanction is handed down, it is likely that Hardy would also lose her newest American record in the 50m Breaststroke (30.53 - although the previous record of 30.63 is still Hardy's mark), which she set leading off her winning 100m Breast at Olympic Trials.
John Lesko is the Editor of Swimnetwork.com. He can be reached at jlesko@swimnetwork.com.
Scott Goldblatt contributed to this report.
Just yesterday, things could not have looked better for USA Swimming. Coming off an Olympic Trials where USA Swimming put its best foot forward each evening in front of a nationally televised audience, American swimming basked in the glow of a week where one great story of triumph followed another.
One of the best moments was arguably the stunning victory of Trojan Swim Club's Jessica Hardy in the 100m Breast from lane 2, topping what may have been the most loaded field in the history of the event.
Surfacing today are reports from NBCOlympics.com, and others, that both "A" and "B" samples from one of Jessica Hardy's Olympic Trials drug tests have returned positive for the stimulant clenbuterol.
The positive test result is only half the story. If Hardy is found guilty of doping and the typical punishment is handed down, it will likely result in her expulsion from the team and a subsequent vacancy in four events: the 100m breast, 50m free, 400m free relay, and 400m medley relay.
According to USA Swimming's and the USOC's official selection procedure for the Olympics offered online, the official policy on filling vacancies in events the procedure is the following:
If, for any reason, an additional Team position or an additional event position shall become vacant after July 21, 2008, (entry deadline), no additional members shall be added to the Team. If USA Swimming is permitted to fill a vacant event position, such vacant event position shall be filled with the swimmer already on the Team who has recorded the fastest time in such vacant event during the period beginning January 1, 2006 through July 6, 2008, provided, however, that the replacement swimmer must agree, after consulting with the Head Coach and National Team Head Coach and General Manager, to compete in the additional event. If the replacement swimmer does not agree to swim in the additional event, then the replacement swimmer shall not be considered an Available Swimmer for that event. This process shall repeat until the event is filled.
This would mean that Rebecca Soni, the fourth place finisher in the 100m breast in Omaha, could now be tapped to swim the 100m breast, in addition to the 200m breast, which she won in Omaha. By also applying this same procedure, Kara Lynn Joyce would be offered the opportunity to compete in the 50m free by virtue of her 24.59 effort back at the Missouri Grand Prix in February of this year. Originally, not even on the team and named to the squad after Trials when Dara Torres withdrew from the 100m free, Joyce now could find herself right in the middle of the sprint action in Beijing.
As far as relays go, the result would be up in the air, as USA Swimming would likely have many options for selecting potential replacements in those events.
If a sanction is handed down, it is likely that Hardy would also lose her newest American record in the 50m Breaststroke (30.53 - although the previous record of 30.63 is still Hardy's mark), which she set leading off her winning 100m Breast at Olympic Trials.
John Lesko is the Editor of Swimnetwork.com. He can be reached at jlesko@swimnetwork.com.
Scott Goldblatt contributed to this report.
Comments (80)
coachdaggi
Posted July 28, 2008 06:51 AM
It would be interesting to know how high the clen-levels were in the two negative tests. A negative test does not mean that nothing was found, just, that it was (if tested at all) below the limit-amount...
If the other tests show no trace of clen, the results are a little strange indeed, if they show values only slightly lower (and therefore under the threshold), things look a bit different to me... though I have no idea how high or low that threshold is with regard to performance enhancement...
Parker
Posted July 26, 2008 07:21 AM
To swim SD: You need to be careful with your wording, REGARDLESS of YOUR opinion. Up until Hardy is/isn't off the team, all scenarios surrounding these quite odd testing results (neg-poz-neg), we as citizens of the US, (NOT China, where one IS guilty until proven innocent) need to use forms of the word alleged (allegedly doping competitor for example). Any other words are, quite simply, un-American. I am not at all pro-drugs, but I am quick to use the word allege, as do newscasters/journalists when reporting. If they didn't and made an accusation (rather than allegation like yours above) they would face a slander suit potentially. What happened to civility amongst swimmer? I cannot read all posts at this time, but if you are a real stickler for ridiculous rules, may I suggest you add a thread regarding Rick DeMont's treatment in Munich. Those are not alleged facts, they have now been proven and the USOC publicly ackowledged they knew DeMont told their doctors in Munich he was taking Marex. Until she is kicked off the team, and USOC makes a statement you CAN ONLY ALLEGE!!!
Ador Stanakowski
Posted July 25, 2008 05:52 PM
I am going against convention and saying that JH should not swim in the Olympic Games. If USA Swimming is going to come out strong against drugs and if a drug policy is going to work - then the punishment should be so harsh that no one would consider taking a chance. Athletes must be responsible for whatever goes into their bodies.
Does that mean that some people will accidentally take an illegal product and test positive? Yes it does. Does it mean that someone like JH might be unfairly punished? Yes it does. But it is the only way that we can clean up the use of drugs in our sport.
USA Swimming should not appeal the JH tests other than to verify that procedures were followed and the results were verified. Furthermore USA Swimming should release a statement stating that they will not appeal the ruling and that all verified positive tests should be prohibited from swimming at the current Olympic Games or the next one.
JH may well be innocent. I don't know. What I do know is that Swimming must make the risks of taking drugs so great that no one will be willing to take them. The results of any Olympic Games or any International or National competition should never be questioned. An uncompromising and harsh punishment is the only way to insure that will happen.
Ador - out
ShaShane
Posted July 25, 2008 03:01 PM
I read on swimnews.com that her levels were barely above the legal amount, but that was confusing because I thought ANY amount of Clenbuterol was illegal. fyi, 36 hours is the half-life, not the full clearance of clenbuterol, meaning that only approximately half would be gone after 36 hours, and clenbuterol excretion can be prolonged and irregular, so it would be hard to "sneak" in one dose between swims, etc. The neg-poz-neg pattern is very odd. Backseatswimmer, I had been thinking the same thing about Hardy, her public personae IS somewhat naive and she came into swimming so late at 16 after being a waterpolo player....possibly just naive enough to trust the wrong person or supplement, perhaps.
backseatswimmer
Posted July 25, 2008 02:33 PM
BTW, I forgot to say thank you to Blogoff for mediating/ending the Pete/Adam post-off. Good grief fellas, you both make fair points, but that exchange was cattier than my college sorority bid sessions! (And witnessed by a solid 10,000+ strangers reading this article...) And on a separate note, I just realized that my last post had Dara, Kara, Lara, and Tara. There's a comedy skit in there somewhere.
