Ty Kurth (FRANCO FACTORY RACING P/B BRIGHTLEAF HOMES) finished 5th at the Illinois Cyclocross State Championship in December 2018 and then tested positive for Testosterone, according to the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA).

After the positive test, Kurth presented information to USADA saying his positive test was caused by prescribed medication containing testosterone, which he was using to treat a medical condition under the care of a physician.

It did not matter.

The 40 year-old was subsequently banned for 2 years by USADA, until December 2020.

For USADA, the anti-doping rules are unambiguous.  Athletes may not take a banned substance, even at the direction of a physician, without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) on file, which Kurth did not have.

The 2020 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods published by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) is now available.

For athletes with a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method on the list, they may be accommodated if they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE).

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