USA TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE ACCEPTS SANCTION FOR DOPING VIOLATION

COLORADO SPRINGS (October 18, 2006) The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today that Dominique Blake of Bronx, New York, an athlete in the sport of track and field, tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a suspension for her first doping offense.
Board of Directors Ralph W. Hale, MD Chair Richard W. Cohen, MD Vice Chair Barry Axelrod Treasurer Kate Hendrickson Borg, CHMM Secretary Evelyn Ashford Lawrence Brown, Jr., MD, MPH Jean Fourcroy, MD, PhD, MPH Andrew Mecca, Dr PH, MPH Annette Salmeen, DPhil

Blake, 19, tested positive for ephedrine at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24, 2006. Ephedrine is listed as a stimulant and is prohibited under the USADA Protocol and the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Ephedrine is also listed as a specified substance, which has a penalty range of a public warning to one year. Blake accepted a nine-month suspension and, as part of her sanction, agreed to participate in an anti-doping educational program. Following completion of this program, she will receive a three-month period of deferment. Blakes period of ineligibility commenced August 3, 2006, the date on which she accepted a provisional suspension and withdrew herself from competition. USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, will carry out the sanction. As a result of the doping violation, Blake has also been disqualified from her event results at the 2006 National Championships. 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. CONTACT: Carla OConnell Publications & Communications Director Phone: (719) 785-2009 e-mail: coconnell@usantidoping.org
United States Anti-Doping Agency 1330 Quail Lake Loop, Suite 260, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Tel: 719.785.2000 Fax: 719.785.2001 usada@usantidoping.org www.usantidoping.org