Suspension of Benefits

a) Suspension of USOC Benefits After Adjudication, Admission, or Acceptance

The below chart summarizes the disposition of athlete access to USOC benefits after adjudication, admission, or acceptance of having committed a doping offense.  Should an individual other than an athlete be found to have committed a doping offense, by adjudication, admission, or acceptance, that individual shall be treated in a manner consistent with the dispositions set forth below.

USOC Benefit/Disposition

1.  Direct Athlete Support that is not based on a single competitive result:
For all violations resulting in a period of suspension, loss of benefit for period of suspension.  After the conclusion of the suspension, the athlete will have to re-qualify for athlete support programs (e.g., attain appropriate rank, etc.)

2.  Op Gold and single competitive result-based athlete support:
 If an athlete loses a competitive result as a result of an anti-doping rule violation from in-competition testing, the athlete will lose the Direct Athlete Support based solely on that event (and the result at that event).

3.  Tuition Grants:
For all violations, loss of benefit for period of suspension.  If punishment is loss of result only, there will be no loss of benefit.  Athletes cannot be considered for a tuition grant during any period of suspension.

4.  Olympic Training Center and Olympic Training Sites Access (camps, etc.):
For all first time violations of section 10.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code, no loss of benefit.  For all other violations, loss of benefit for period of suspension.

5.  Olympic Training Center Residence:
For all first time violations of section 10.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code, no loss of benefit.  For all other violations, loss of benefit for period of suspension.

Recreational drugs not included in the prohibited list, and other conduct issues and resulting penalties, will be handled through the OTC Code of Conduct.

6.  Other USOC Services:
              Alumni Relations
              Athlete Marketing (including access to     
              sponsor programs and the OJOP)
              Athlete Services Centers
              Career Consultation
              Media Services
              Personal Development Programs
              Resource Library Access
              Sports Medicine
              Sports Science and Coaching
              SUMMITs
              TeamUSAnet Website
For all first time violations of section 10.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code no loss of benefit.  For all other violations, loss of benefit for period of suspension.

Participation in the OJOP program and sponsor programs will also be dependent on employer or sponsor views.

7.  USOC Events:
              Olympic, Pan American, Paralympic
              Games teams, trials, and qualifying
              events
              Titan Games and similar events
For all violations, loss of benefit or eligibility for benefit for period of suspension.  This issue may be controlled by IF or IOC or other rules, which may cause a different result.

8.  Elite Athlete Health Insurance:
 For all first time violations of section 10.3 of the World Anti-Doping Code, no loss of benefit.  For all other violations, loss of benefit for period of suspension.

 If a doping offense results in no period of suspension (i.e., only loss of result), then the athlete will lose the result-dependent USOC benefits set forth in the second category of the chart above but no other benefits will be lost.

 All USOC benefits are contingent on participation in the anti-doping testing program.  Should the case arise where cash benefits of athlete support and tuition grants are paid before an athlete is suspended and the athlete is later determined to have committed a doping offense during the period in which the athlete received benefits, the athlete will have a repayment obligation to the USOC equal to the amount of the benefit received.

 To the extent the USOC creates a benefit not listed in the above chart, the USOC will endeavor to classify the new benefit in accordance with similar benefits above and will publish an addendum to this Annex or restate the entire Annex reflecting that change.

b) Suspension of USOC Benefits Prior to Adjudication, Admission, or Acceptance

  After an A sample is declared positive or when an anti-doping case is proceeding:

 1.  Cash benefits of athlete support that are based on single results (such as Operation Gold or other NGB-specific programs) should be suspended if they have not already been paid when an “A” positive is reported to the USOC for the event that forms the basis of the award.  Should the case arise where such result-dependent benefits of athlete grants are paid before suspension and the athlete is determined to have committed an anti-doping rule violation, the athlete will have a repayment obligation to the USOC equal to the amount of the benefit received.  The USOC, seeking AAC and other appropriate input, and USADA will together develop: 1) a timeline, and 2) a reporting mechanism for processing and reporting results-dependent event testing.  The timeline developed will be recommended for adoption as a National Anti-Doping Policy of the USOC and published as such.  Such timeline will allow for test results to be processed and reported, but shall not unreasonably delay payment to athletes.

 2.  Athlete support payments will be temporarily held by the USOC if there is any outstanding information due to the USOC and USADA until that information is provided.¹

 3.  For all other USOC-provided benefits or circumstances not falling within the above two categories, no benefits impact would occur until after an admission by an athlete or the conclusion of an adjudication or acceptance of a penalty adverse to an athlete, in which case the benefits would be addressed in accordance with the above chart.

 4.  Under no circumstances, except those described specifically above will the USOC withhold athlete support benefits or monies, unless otherwise required by law or superior regulation.

c) Access to NGB Benefits and Services

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, NGBs, as members of a Code signatory (the USOC), must engage in the same or similar suspensions of benefits and access as the USOC.  NGBs are to adopt policies similar to those adopted by the USOC within this policy, subject to USOC approval.

¹   The information referred to in this paragraph is limited to USOC paperwork required to provide athlete support benefit, athlete location information required by USADA, and similar information that might be requested in the future to allow administration of these programs.

¹   The information referred to in this paragraph is limited to USOC paperwork required to provide athlete support benefit, athlete location information required by USADA, and similar information that might be requested in the future to allow administration of these programs.