On Tuesday, Amy Hay, one of the top U.S. Olympic Weightlifters, received a two-year suspension for failing an in-competition drug test at the USA Weightlifting (USAW) American Open Series I competition in March 2017. Hay tested positive for Ostarine, a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM), which is prohibited by the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA) and the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA).
The case was taken to arbitration where the American Arbitration Association (AAA) held hearings to make a final ruling. The sanction was announced on USADA’s website along with the arbitration ruling.
The arbitration ruling has since been removed from USADA’s page listing Arbitration Decisions. In a request for comment regarding the removal of the arbitration hearing, USADA said that the AAA Panel is considering changes to its report and that once the Panel’s decision is finalized the report would be reposted on USADA’s website. USADA did not comment on what the AAA Panel was reconsidering.
According to the arbitration hearing document (before it was removed from the USADA website), Hay claimed that her boyfriend spiked her water with Ostarine the night before the USAW American Open Series I competition. In a recorded deposition, Hay’s boyfriend admitted to USADA investigators that he did spike her water in an attempt to get Hay’s coach, Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics, in trouble.
Hay testified to the AAA Panel that Everett had exhibited inappropriate conduct towards her and had sent her inappropriate text messages. The arbitration report also stated that Hay told AAA that she had reported Everett’s conduct to USA SafeSport and that an investigation had been opened. USA SafeSport’s process is confidential so the status of the investigation is unknown as of this date.
After hearing arguments from both Hay and USADA, AAA ruled that Hay does have fault for her anti-doping violation, but that the Panel found her boyfriend’s sabotage testimony plausible. AAA imposed a two-year suspension beginning on April 11, 2017, the date of the violation along with removal of her gold medals at the USAW American Open Series I.
Stay tuned for developments in this story as the AAA re-finalizes its report.
