U.S. Cycling Athlete Jonathan Wood Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

Press Release

10th September 2020

USADA announced today that Jonathan Wood, of Seattle, Wash., an athlete in the sport of cycling, has accepted a two-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.

Wood, 37, tested positive for an anabolic agent as the result of an out-of-competition drug test collected on April 29, 2019. His urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test that differentiates between anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and prohibited anabolic agents of external origin. Anabolic agents have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities and can give an athlete an unfair advantage over fellow competitors.

After a thorough review of the case, including the examination of medical records provided by the athlete, USADA determined that Wood’s positive test was caused by a prescribed medication containing testosterone. Although the substance was taken at the direction of a physician, Wood lacked a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Under the USADA TUE Policy, an athlete has the responsibility to demonstrate in advance of using a prohibited substance that the medical need to treat an acute or chronic condition satisfies all four strict criteria within the WADA International Standard for TUEs (ISTUE).

All AAS, including testosterone, are Non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and are 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 Union Cycliste Internationale Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Wood’s two-year period of ineligibility began on June 20, 2019, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Wood has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to June 21, 2017, the date he first used testosterone, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

Thursday, 10 September 2020