VeloNews.com – Clinger suspended for two years
A three-member arbitration panel has issued a two-year suspension of David Clinger for a positive testosterone test at last year’s national elite championships in Bend, Oregon.
Clinger had finished second in the national road race, behind Michael Olheiser, but that result and any achieved since his positive test have been negated, as a result of the ruling issued by the American Arbitration Association/Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA/CAS) panel on Thursday (read the full decision).
According to the VeloNews article, and from reading the full arbitration decision, Clinger knew that he was taking prohibited substances and even declared them on the Doping Control Form he filled out at the National Championships, but neglected to file for a Therapeutic Use Exemption prior to taking the prescribed drugs.
From reading the arbitration decision, it appears that Clinger did not intend to cheat, and that the arbitration panel recognized that, but found that there was insufficient extraordinary cause to vacate the finding or to reduce his suspension.
I just hope that this setback doesn’t send Clinger back down the wrong path that he was on prior to moving to Utah and going through rehab, and that he’ll be able to weather this particular storm and come out stronger on the other side.
David Clinger during the 2009 Tour of Utah
5 comments
20 March 2010 at 03:38:10
WTF
20 March 2010 at 05:38:42
‘didn’t intend to cheat,’ wow.
20 March 2010 at 06:38:05
Whodathunkit
20 March 2010 at 13:38:39
The fact that he declared that he was taking the drugs containing testosterone and modinafil makes it appear that doping was not the intent. I don’t understand why he didn’t more diligently pursue getting a TUE, though, unless he was hoping to get caught and suspended, giving him an excuse for failure.
I’ve met him a couple times, albeit very briefly, over the past couple years since he’s been in Utah. He seemed like a pretty humble guy who truly wanted to move beyond his previous mistakes.
That’s why I hope this experience doesn’t send him back down the path of substance abuse as a means of escape.
21 March 2010 at 03:38:06
I don’t wish unwell on any of these guys, though, I really am rooting for guys like him (and tyler) to get better and ride again, but trainwrecks are trainwrecks and I am not surprised at all.