Lara Procopio has accepted a six month USADA suspension.
Procopio failed an out of competition drug test issued by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on February 17 on this year. The punishment has now been handed down to Procopio by USADA and thee drug-testing agency has issued a six-month suspension to the fighter, who was popped for Ostarine.
The suspension is retroactive to the date of the drug test failure, so Procopio’s suspension actually ended on August 24 of this year. USADA issued the following press release on the matter:
Lara Fritzen Procopio Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy
USADA announced today that Lara Fritzen Procopio, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has accepted a six-month sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
Fritzen Procopio, 24, tested positive for ostarine as the result of a urine sample collected out-of-competition on February 17, 2020. Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.
Ostarine, also known as MK-2866 and Enobosarm, is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is illegally sold worldwide as a performance-enhancing substance. Ostarine is not currently available as a prescription medication in any country, and its unauthorized use may carry serious side effects. Nonetheless, ostarine has commonly been found as a declared and undeclared ingredient in many dietary supplements. More information about the risks of ostarine can be found through a USADA athlete advisory.
Following notification of her positive test, Fritzen Procopio provided an open container of a dietary supplement she obtained from a Brazilian compounding pharmacy that she was using prior to her positive test, and which she declared on her doping control form, for analysis at a WADA-accredited laboratory. Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement label, the analysis revealed the presence of ostarine in the product. Delays in supplement testing were caused by laboratory closures due to COVID-19.
Under the current UFC ADP, if a situation arises where an athlete tests positive and is able to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the cause of the positive test was due to a supplement certified by one of the certifiers in the UFC rules, he or she will not be subject to an anti-doping policy violation and will be permitted to compete after follow-up testing and when there is no performance enhancing benefit in question. In this case, the supplement Fritzen Procopio identified was not a Certified Supplement, and she is therefore subject to an anti-doping policy violation.
Consistent with other contamination cases with similar circumstances, USADA determined that a reduction from the default two-year period of ineligibility was justified. Fritzen Procopio’s six-month period of ineligibility began on February 17, 2020, the date her positive sample was collected.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https:// UFC. USADA .org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (https:// UFC. GlobalDRO .com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese.
Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean @usada.org, by phone at 1 877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.
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