William Claye (M)

athlete, from United States of America, 1 sanction

Notes: Claye, 27, tested positive for trace amounts of clenbuterol as a result of a urine sample collected out-of-competition on August 1, 2018. Clenbuterol is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Association of Athletics Federations Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. Consistent with numerous prior reported cases globally, the issue of illicit administration of clenbuterol to animals destined for food production can result in, under specific conditions, a positive sample from an athlete. USADA, WADA and other anti-doping agencies have issued specific warnings about this problem in China and Mexico. To USADA’s knowledge, positive tests resulting from meat contamination issues are rare outside of those two countries. Moreover, due to strict regulatory and meat certification practices, USADA is not aware of any instances in which an athlete’s sample tested positive for clenbuterol after consumption of meat produced in the U.S. Clenbuterol administration for animal husbandry in the U.S. is illegal, and clenbuterol is not an FDA-approved medication for human consumption. During its investigation into the circumstances that led to the positive test, USADA gathered evidence from Claye and reviewed Claye’s whereabouts, dietary habits, and the laboratory reports demonstrating very low parts per billion concentrations of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s urine sample. USADA concluded that it was unlikely that the presence of clenbuterol in the athlete’s sample resulted from a source other than contaminated meat consumed in Mexico. As a result, Claye will not face a period of ineligibility for his positive test, and because the sample was collected out-of-competition, there are no competitive results to be disqualified.