USADA AND THE NETHERLANDS ANTI-DOPING AUTHORITY PARTNER TO UNCOVER TAMPERING SCHEME
June 08, 2010Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 8, 2010) -USADA announced today that Orien Greene of Gainesville, Florida, and Teddy Gipson of Spearsville, Louisiana, have been sanctioned as a result of their participation in efforts to tamper with doping control, which is an anti-doping rule violation under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the anti-doping rules of FIBA, the international federation for basketball, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (“Code”).
Evidence from a March 12, 2009, sample collection from Orien Greene conducted by the Netherlands Anti-Doping Authority (“Doping Autoriteit”) while Greene was playing professionally for Eclips Jet MyGuide Amsterdam during the 2008-2009 season, indicated that Greene had attempted to use urine provided to him by another individual. When the information became evident, Greene no longer resided in the Netherlands and had returned to the United States. Doping Autoriteit contacted USADA for assistance with the investigation, and through the collaborative efforts of the organizations, the tampering scheme was uncovered through an investigation over the course of several months. As a result of the investigation, Orien Greene has received a two-year period of ineligibility, beginning March 12, 2009, and Teddy Gipson, who played on the Eclips Jet MyGuide Amsterdam team with Greene and who promptly admitted his role in the scheme and accepted responsibility for the anti-doping rule violation has received a six month suspension consistent with the Code, beginning June 5, 2010. “We are thankful for the cooperation with USADA, and we are very glad that this cooperation has made it possible to uncover these serious anti-doping rule violations, which have been committed in our national basketball competition,” said Herman Ram, CEO of Doping Autoriteit. “This case is a great example of the success that can be achieved in the fight against doping in sport when national anti-doping organizations work together for a common goal. Elite athletes today often travel the globe and frequently find themselves subject to the anti-doping jurisdiction of multiple nations. In this case, USADA is thankful that it was able to work closely with Doping Autoriteit to expose these anti-doping rule violations,” said Stephen Starks, USADA Legal Affairs Director.