Hope Solo tests positive for prohibited substance, gets public warning
The day before the U.S. women's soccer team departs for its Olympic training camp in England, goalkeeper Hope Solo has accepted a public warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for a prohibited substance. Solo won't face any punishment beyond the warning since the agency accepted her reasoning that the presence of the prohibited substance was from a doctor-prescribed medication for premenstrual purposes.
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From the USADA's official website:
Solo, 30, tested positive for Canrenone as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on June 15, 2012. Canrenone is prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) anti-doping rules, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code ("Code") and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Canrenone is classified as a Specified Substance, and therefore the presence of Canrenone in an athlete's sample can result in a reduced sanction. Solo was taking a prescribed medication, in a therapeutic dose under the care of a physician. The medication when metabolized resulted in the adverse analytical finding.
"I took a medication prescribed by my personal doctor for pre-menstrual purposes that I did not know contained a diuretic. Once informed of this fact, I immediately cooperated with USADA and shared with them everything they needed to properly conclude that I made an honest mistake, and that the medication did not enhance my performance in any way," said Hope Solo. "As someone who believes in clean sport, I am glad to have worked with USADA to resolve this matter and I look forward to representing my country at the 2012 Olympic Games in London."
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According to the USADA's guide, Specified Substances are "particularly susceptible to unintentional anti-doping rule violations because of their general availability in medicinal products or which are less likely to be successfully abused as doping agents." And since Solo's excuse checked out in the agency's investigation of circumstances, she's just been given the warning and will still play in the Olympics.
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