A 90-year-old cyclist who was stripped of his world record after a failed drugs test has questioned the wisdom of the US Anti-Doping Agency’s decision.
Usada admitted that Carl Grove’s failed test was probably due to his inadvertent consumption of contaminated meat but said that it still had to issue him with a public warning, the least serious punishment available.
The former United States Navy Band saxophonist, who played for US presidents during his time in the armed forces, said the decision had initially hurt him.
“I was really kind of down for a while. But I’m over it,” Grove said. “I wanted to be an inspiration, if possible. I worked like a real horse to do it. They struck me from the records. I don’t really care about that too much.
Grove had won the 90-94 age group individual pursuit crown in a world record 3mins 6.129 secs last July 11 at Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. He was the lone competitor in his age group.
The resident of the small town of Bristol, Indiana, about 120 miles east of Chicago, tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited substance trenbolone in a urine sample taken after his run.
Grove provided USADA with information the doping watchdogs said led them to find that “the source of his positive test was more likely than not caused by contaminated meat consumed the evening before competing.”
Grove won’t be suspended, though the timing of the test cost him his record:
Since his positive sample was collected in competition, Grove has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on July 11, 2018, the date his sample was collected.
At least Grove’s national master’s championships in the time trial and sprint will stand. He’ll be able to try to get his world record back this year.