USADA announced today that weightlifting athlete, Amy Hay, of Portland, Ore., is entitled to a reduction in her suspension due to substantial assistance she provided to USADA. Hay initially received a two-year suspension and loss of results in October of 2017 from a three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) as result of testing positive for ostarine during an in-competition urine sample.

Hay’s two-year period of ineligibility began on April 11, 2017, the date she accepted a provisional suspension. In addition, Hay was disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to March 18, 2017, the date her positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. Hay’s results at the American Open Series 1 were disqualified, including her first place result on March 18, 2017.

On December 6, 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Weightlifting Federation agreed to a six-month reduction to Hay’s two-year sanction for providing substantial assistance. Hay retired on December 2, 2017, at which point her original period of ineligibility was tolled, but notified USADA of her intent to return from retirement on September 19, 2019.

The balance of her period of ineligibility, less the six-month reduction, must be served from September 19, 2019, the date she returned from retirement. Currently, Hay’s period of ineligibility is due to expire on July 25, 2020. The original sanction announcement on Hay’s violation is available here and the decision, as well as other arbitral decisions, can be found here.

• This media release was published by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on 16 December 2019. Click here for the original.