U.S. Cycling Athlete Ty Kurth Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

Press Release

21st October 2019

USADA announced today that Ty Kurth, of McHenry, Ill., an athlete in the sport of cycling, has accepted a two-year sanction after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Kurth, 41, tested positive for testosterone and/or its metabolites, as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected at the Cyclocross State Championships on December 2, 2018.

Testosterone is a non-Specified Substances in the category of Anabolic Agents and 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 International Cycling Union Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

After a thorough review of the case, including the examination of medical records provided by the athlete, USADA determined that Kurth’s positive test was caused by a prescribed medication containing testosterone, which he was using in a therapeutic dose under the care of a physician. Although the substance was taken at the direction of a physician, Kurth 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).

Anabolic agents like testosterone have powerful performance-enhancing capabilities and can give an athlete an unfair advantage over fellow competitors, which is why criteria must be fulfilled beyond merely providing a prescription.

Kurth’s two-year period of ineligibility began on December 2, 2018, the date his positive sample was collected.

In addition, Kurth has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to December 2, 2018, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

Monday, 21 October 2019