USADA Athlete Test History

It's not that complicated.

There is a testing agency for each country. USADA is the US, JADCO in Jamaica, even Ethiopia "has" an agency. These agencies test their own national athletes, foreign athletes competing in the US, and can even travel to another country to test an athlete. That was the case with Mo Trafeh; USADA went to Morocco to track him down. Usually though, that is expensive, so agencies can ask a different agency to run a test for them. AFLD can ask the USADA to run an OOC test on Lavillenie a week before Prefontaine.

That hypothetical test on Lavillenie is performed by USADA, but would be recorded as an AFLD test. If USADA wants their own test on Ryan Hill while he is in Paris, they would ask AFLD to perform it, and it would be recorded in the USADA statistics. A regular in-competition test after his 3k has nothing to do with USADA, and would not be recorded. AFLD wouldn't be interested in an out-of-competition on Hill, but they could perform a test on him anyway independantly of USADA, and it would not be a USADA statistic.

The IAAF also runs tests on their own behalf. They mostly test athletes in Kenya, Ethiopia, and other Middle-Eastern and Eastern African nations because their respective anti-doping agencies don't have the resources on their own. They also test other athletes across the world out of competition. They also test athletes at their own championships. Rupp could have an IAAF testers show up out of competition in Park City, or in Beijing at the world championships. Both are IAAF tests, and not recorded by USADA.

So imagine Paul Chelimo is tested out of competition in Beaverton by USADA, in Rio by the IAAF, in competition in Paris by AFLD, and then tested again by the AFLD in Paris a few days later at the request of the USADA . Only the first and last test would show up on USADA statistics. (If he had set an American record and needed a test performed to validate the record, I believe he would ask USADA to request a test to be performed by AFLD. That tested would be recorded on USADA statistics)

Clerk wrote:

It's not that complicated.

Thank your for the detailed reply. The examples are helpful.

To be sure I understand, are you saying doping tests are only performed by ADAs?

My question was in response to the Gladwell's claim that Rupp can't be doping b/c he was tested 50 times last year. The Athlete Test History only lists 21 tests for Rupp last year. This makes it look as if Gladwell is wildly exaggerating. I want to know whether it is possible that Rupp was tested another 29 times by some other agency than USADA, not at the behest of USADA. I take it you would say "no, it isn't possible."

In other words, contra Gladwell, Rupp was not tested 50 times last year.

No. Gladwell doesn't know what he is talking about. Gladwell is praised as an author because he is a good story teller. The best story he ever told was the one where he is any kind of scientist.

Some training groups run blood tests to monitor health. The Rosa associati bought a sysmex to run internal drug tests. But those kind of tests are not what Gladwell is talking about (those are let's-make-sure-your-blood-won't-test-positive-when-it-is-the-real-thing tests).

We could speculate that he was tested at Beijing a few or even several times by the IAAF. But having done very few international events, even if he was tested at Brussels for example, no, you cannot get to 50 tests.

Do you know who tests at IAAF Diamond League races, or how they show up in the Athlete Testing History? For example, when Rupp got tested at Pre, did USADA count that as one of their tests, since it's in the US? Or did they not count it, since it's a test for an IAAF event?

I know, I know, I shouldn't be working so hard to rescue Gladwell (or Rupp).

I've always been puzzled by Gladwell's track stuff. The stories in his books are good stories, even when they are not true. The track stories I've seen aren't especially good as stories.

And is it correct that USADA does not test any of the NCAA track and field athletes?

I have this questions about UKAD. They institute testing in their "developing elites" program, I believe, but I'm not entirely sure. We've been trying to ascertain testing history for Scot Andrew Butchart, but that information has yet to be disclosed. Butchart was racing mostly regionally all of last year; hover, he had competed in Palo Alto a few times and some Euro races. Not DL prior to this year because he wasn't that class. However, he made an Olympic final. We're trying to figure out what controls are in place for these Scottish "cub" athletes under the UKAD/WADA framework.

STheriot wrote:

And is it correct that USADA does not test any of the NCAA track and field athletes?

Correct.

I am guessing that Gladwell just pulled a number out of his a$$.

It is okay. He did it during an interview. If he were writing an article then I would expect him to have looked up the number.

NC Double A wrote:

STheriot wrote:

And is it correct that USADA does not test any of the NCAA track and field athletes?

Correct.

USADA tests those in the pool to test which includes NCAA athletes if they are in that pool. I can't recall the exact ranking but if you're in the top 50 in your event you can be tested.

When was the last time that any Jamaicans were tested out of competition?

luv2run wrote:

I am guessing that Gladwell just pulled a number out of his a$$.

It is okay. He did it during an interview. If he were writing an article then I would expect him to have looked up the number.

Maybe. It's more likely he'd pull a number of out his a$$ knowing the New Yorker fact checkers had his back.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's gotten sloppier knowing that they'll catch any mistakes.

nikeman wrote:

When was the last time that any Jamaicans were tested out of competition?

Beats me.

In 2016, USADA has tested David Torrence once. Torrence switched nationality a few months ago leaving any remaining 2016 testing to be carried out by Peru NADO. It's kind of bubble territory.

Why is Abdi still being tested to the extreme? Abdi continually is the most tested US athlete. Seriously, freaking Abdi. Love Abdi, but he's been retired in spirit for many years. That said, he's racing next weekend. Go Abdi!

God bless Abdi, and I honestly would expect him to be completely clean, but he's probably associated by usada b/c of his renting a room to the irish kid who got popped, and also think he might have let an ethiopian guy stay with him once (he's a generous dude, so it can happen more often with ppl like him) who eventually was popped. just my conjecture as to why they might chase him a little more, though who knows, maybe it's b/c they see irregularities in the ABP and are trying to narrow things down to natural (or unnatural) variances.

knower of things. wrote:

God bless Abdi, and I honestly would expect him to be completely clean, but he's probably associated by usada b/c of his renting a room to the irish kid who got popped, and also think he might have let an ethiopian guy stay with him once (he's a generous dude, so it can happen more often with ppl like him) who eventually was popped. just my conjecture as to why they might chase him a little more, though who knows, maybe it's b/c they see irregularities in the ABP and are trying to narrow things down to natural (or unnatural) variances.

Don't undersell. He and Fagan were training partners.

Abdi participates in several PRRO races, like Peachtree. Those events run drug tests regularly, before and during the event. Large road races in general, like BAA series races, or USATF events (which Abdi does often), are also better funded and drug test more regularly than track meets.

You cant tell who touched your sample because there no recordkeeping. USADA uses NCAA employees, interns, and high school kids rather than their own people.