Posted: November 15, 2005

Drugs in Sport: U.S. Track & Field Athlete Bookman Accepts Public Warning for Violation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 14, 2005):

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today that Leo Bookman, Jr. of Lawrence, Kan., an athlete in the sport of track and field, tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a public warning for his first doping offense.

Bookman, 23, tested positive for salbutamol, a prohibited beta-2 agonist, at the Jamaica International Invitational on May 7, 2005. The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), the international federation for the sport of track and field which conducted the test, referred the case to USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body for the sport in the United States. On October 14, 2005, in accordance with the USADA Protocol for Olympic Movement Testing, USATF referred the case to USADA for handling.

Salbutamol is prohibited under the rules of the IAAF and USADA, both of which adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List. Although salbutamol is a prohibited substance under the applicable rules, an athlete who provides documentation in advance of competition, confirming the diagnosis of a valid medical need for salbutamol, may receive an exemption allowing the use of the substance. Bookman did not have an exemption to use salbutamol.

"Athletes with a legitimate medical need and a valid prescription for a prohibited substance should obtain the necessary exemption prior to in-competition or out-of-competition testing in order to take the substance,” said Dr. Larry Bowers, USADA’s senior managing director. “The exemption process is designed to protect the health and safety of athletes because it allows them to continue taking medications that are necessary.”

As a result of the doping violation, Bookman has been disqualified from the 2005 Jamaica International Invitational, including his second place finish in the 200 meters. USA Track & Field will carry out the sanction.

USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.