Hamilton Tests Positive, Retires from Cycling
Tyler Hamilton, a gold-medal cyclist once thought to be Lance Armstrong's heir, announced his retirement today after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, according to the New York Times. He knowingly took the substance, which is found in an over-the-counter anti-depression supplement he was using to treat his clinically diagnosed depression.
"Was it stupid? Absolutely yes. Was I wrong? Absolutely yes," Hamilton told reporters in a teleconference held this morning. "But the people who suffer from depression know that sometimes you make drastic decision to make yourself feel better. Yes, I took a substance that was on the banned list for my mental health. Did I take it for performance enhancement? Absolutely not."
This is Hamilton's second positive test for banned substances. The first, in 2004, involved blood transfusions and cast a shadow over Hamilton's gold medal. He was not stripped of the gold medal because samples of his blood were stored incorrectly, though he was banned from the sport until 2006. In 2007, he joined the Rock Racing team, a pro cycling team known for their "bad boy" image. Rock Racing did not immediately return phone calls to Outside seeking comment.
Hamilton finished 83rd in the recent Amgen Tour of California. Had he not announced his retirement, he would have faced either an eight-year or lifetime ban from professional cycling. It's been a tumultuous ride for Hamilton since the Massachusetts native first stood out from the crowd at the University of Colorado, as described in ESPN's comprehensive timeline of Hamilton's career. Back in 1998, Hamilton spoke to Outside about creating a perfect cycling workout to get you in shape for the season.
--Melanie Lidman
Do you think Hamilton should be excused since he claims he took the substance for a non-performance-enhancing purpose? Tell us in a comment below.
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I think there needs to be a sense of leniency from both the IOC and the UCI when it comes to situations like this. How can an anti-depressant, which the man obviously needs to combat a mental illness he suffers from, give him the upper hand in a race?
This is far from blood doping, increasing oxygen levels, taking steroids, or using an illegal substance like cocaine.
This zero tolerance policy needs to be reviewed.
Posted by: Phil | April 17, 2009 at 09:29 PM
There is leniency for prescribed medications, though I'm not sure of the details on how it works. During his famous Tour de France Landis had an exemption for a cortezone injection he was taking to manage his hip pain.
Unreliable information source here:
http://landiscase.wikispaces.com/Cortisone
and I"m having trouble finding more reliable sources.
Posted by: Darcy McGee | April 19, 2009 at 12:04 AM