Following the announcement that Jesse Norris had failed a drug test at the USAPL Raw Nationals, we reached out to multiple National-level powerlifters to get their take on Norris’s suspension.
We asked, “What do you think about Norris’ suspension? Do you think the punishment was right, too short or too long? And why?” As you’ll see, there are some very strong opinions regarding this topic as well. Additionally, some athletes declined to offer their opinion stating they did not have enough facts to weigh in. All responses were provided such that they would be posted anonymously.
Here’s what several athletes had to say:
I’m pretty passionate about the federation I lift for being drug-free and it actually pisses me off to know that he gets a tiny slap on the wrist for taking “stims”. ANY LIFTER WHO LIFTS AT NATIONALS/WORLDS etc, has read the WADA book front to back and inside out — you know what you can and can’t take — (plus you’re bodybuilding.com’s golden child). If a product seems sketch don’t take it. Why would you risk your reputation/public humiliation?
I was pretty shocked when I heard that he failed a drug test due to the preworkout “Craze”! I am, however, very proud that he was able to open up about it on social media where thousands of followers were able to see it. I applaud him because so many people, especially males, look up to him. He approached the situation very professionally and with him acknowledging it, it probably opened a lot of people’s eyes to what exactly they are putting in their bodies. I myself instantly checked all the ingredients in my preworkout and made sure that it was in fact clean and legal to take.
I do agree with the punishment of six months. It is very fair. It shows that it doesn’t matter who you are, you still have to face consequences for your actions even if they were not intentional. He is still a very good role model to have.
Sorry, can’t comment on this.
 |
Become limitless with Barbell Voodoo!Whether you need knee sleeves or awesome t-shirts with great designs, Barbell-Voodoo.com has you covered. |
It is our responsibility to read labels and know what we’re putting in our bodies and compare it to the WADA list of banned substances. The substance in Craze is only banned in competition, not for training and when you are competing at that level you have to be careful in taking supplements during competition. It is unfortunate that he learned this the hard way, but there again, the list is there for public knowledge and falls back on us as athletes to know what is not acceptable.
Six months is not a long time and I’m sure he won’t be using any preworkout supplements during competition in the future. Also, the level of concentration is another factor that is looked at. So if he had only taken it once in the morning, he probably would have passed his test. But the concentration level must have been enough for it to be considered an unfair advantage. My very first competition I downloaded the list to check against what was in a preworkout that I was using and there was one ingredient that wasn’t on the banned list but on the “watched” list so I didn’t take it during competition.
The only thing I really have to say is it’s disappointing and a bit fishy. As someone who was heavily rumored as a steroid user coming to the USAPL you would think he would do some research. The banned stimulants list is clearly posted. He works for bodybuilding.com who was a huge sponsor for Nationals this year and clearly has some knowledge on supplements and their ingredients. Something just seems to be off to me.
In the long run it doesn’t matter what anyone things, USADA is going to justify their existence. I think that Jesse handled a shitty situation like a true professional. He will be back with deeper squats, a clean test and bigger numbers.
I’m fairly indifferent about it. The fact of the matter is he knew he was competing in a drug test Federation which included stimulant usage. [It] might have just been an honest mistake but he maybe should have read the banned substances list and looked at his supplements a bit more closely.
[Re: punishment] I don’t really think it’s a big deal, only a six-month ban.
