USADA announced today that an arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA) has rendered a decision in the case of swimmer Sam Tierney, of Columbia, Missouri, and has determined that Tierney should receive a public warning for his rule violation. Tierney, 23, declared the use of an inhaler containing the prohibited substance Vilanterol Trifenatate, during an in-competition test on June, 3, 2016.

Tierney was using the inhaler under the care of a medical professional, but did not check to see if his medication was prohibited, and did not apply for a TUE prior to taking it. The results of that in-competition test were negative. Vilanterol Trifenatate is a Beta-2 Agonist, prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the rules of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (“Code”) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) Prohibited List. Beta-2 agonists are listed as Specified Substances, and therefore can result in a reduced sanction.

• This media release was originally published by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on 24 June 2016. To access the original, please click here.