Topic: News: Chris LeRoux Ruled Ineligible

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

I received an email from the USAW's website informing me that I was successfully registered. Since I didn't renew my membership, I called them to see what was going on when I was informed that they merely changed my membership to indicate that I was retired. So, I told them that I was not retired. Thats when I was told that I have been ruled ineligible to compete, at any level.

I am not sure where exactly this is coming from. I was told it is a USOC policy by USADA and told it is a USADA policy by the USAW. But, the assertion coming from all of them I guess is that I never properly un-retired before I began competing again a year or so ago. Their claim is that I was obligated to not only inform them that I was coming out of retirement but also to enroll in the out of competition drug testing program for six months before I would be eligible to compete, at any level. The problem with this assertion is that this is not what I was told when I decided to retire nor is it the policy written on the retirement form I signed and have a copy of. This document says I must only enroll in the out of competition testing program for six months before competition if I wanted to qualify for a National Squad, an international trip, or financial or other support from the USAW/USOC, which I do not desire. Otherwise, all it says I had to do to un-retire was notify the USAW in writing of my desire to compete. USADA is claiming that another letter from them, that I didn't sign and do not recall even seeing, was sent to me that overrides the document I signed written by the USAW. USADA claims the USAW document incorrectly represented the policy. I disagree that this document contradicts the document I signed as the context of the letter is what is necessary to be active with USADA's out of competition testing program, not to be active in one's sport. I further argue that I never saw this letter, was never informed that if I ever chose to un-retire I would have to go through these procedures, nor was told there was a problem when I won the nationals last year! In fact, I was told an entirely different policy, the same policy written in the retirement document I signed and have. So far, reaction to my problem with this astonishing declaration has been unsympathetic from USADA and the USAW office. But, our USAW President Dennis Snethen has promised to help. There have been many inconsistencies so far from USADA including one staff member telling me, contrary to the USAW's statements, that I was eligible for local meets but not national meets. Then, another person said I am not eligible for any USAW sanctioned meets. They very much seem to be making things up as they go. The first staffer didn't know the difference between making a national squad and competing in a national event, the first of which I should not be eligible to do without enrolling in out of competition testing for six months according to the policy I was told and agreed to, and the other which I should be allowed to do without first enrolling in the testing for six months. I could go on and on about the vagueness and ignorance displayed during my discussions with USADA, not to mention the hostility.

I am extremely bewildered by this decision, the way in which I was [not] informed of it, and I will fight it with everything I have. If they rule me ineligible, they will have to take my national title from last year away and they will face everything I can fight them with. I am all for drug testing, but this is beyond bizarre and I will not accept it.

[Pete Church]

Wow!!! My thoughts are with. Certainly cooler heads will sort this out and you will prevail. And I thought the government was bad!!!!

[Paul LaDuke]

Chris,

I hope that this issue gets ironed out quickly!  The USAW is doing itself a huge disservice if it doesn't bust their butts to correct the problem.

Chris, you have done more to promote the sport of weightlifting in the US than anyone else I know of because of this website.  The resources (video, coaching and traing tips) available on this website are better than any other resource with the exception of having a Sr. International coach at each of your training sessions.  If the USAW makes the huge mistake of cutting ties with you will be a big setback to the sport's growth in the future.

I am totally confused by what they ruled and it sounds like the same old problem in the government - no one can make a decision, no one knows what another entity is doing, no one can help you out because that is not their department!

Good luck and godspeed.

[mike rinaldi]

i guess by now you know that you and i are hardwired somewhat differently  :D

i could not even read thru that (pre senile and post (?) drug addiction adult hyperactive attention deficit disorder)

all i can say is (three guesses)   :P

you are the beast

how do you stay so calm?

i would have had a kitten

that is ridiculous, and we wonder why so many people disappear!!??

the only thing drug testing is for is eligiblity to squads

oh, and did they not invite you or put you on a squad?

aHA!!  :idea:

maybe that is it

you declined

(or can we add paranoid to the above admitting diagnosis for your pal hal)

[Jim Storch]

Almost makes me glad I was never as good as you (I'm guessing it's ok if I retire over and over again as much as I want).

Where is this crap coming from?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Mike,

I suppose you could say I was calm when I first heard this issue. I was in shock. I thought it sounded like a simple misunderstanding of the policy I was told when I retired and I figured I could resolve it with some patient dialogue. Then, I started to realize that USADA doesn't care what I was told or what I was given in writing at the time I retired. They simply want to suspend me and are eager to justify it at all costs. I am extremely upset about the way I was not informed of this suspension that they don't want to call a suspension. And, I am extremely anxious wondering if I will have to fight this ruling all by myself of whether I will get any support from the USAW office, my athlete reps, and the BOD. I am encouraged that Dennis Snethen agreed with me that this was absolutely ridiculous. But, calm? No, I am very, very far from calm. I am extremely stressed out.

[Jim Storch]

Chris,

I would be extremely upset (for a time) if it was me, but will it help you in this "battle"?

I doubt it.

Take a deep breath (several if needed), center yourself, and move that stress where it will be the most beneficial.

I know you can do it.

Would you like a phone call?

Jim

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Jim,

Thanks. No, being upset and angry won't help. I don't think much is going to help except money. Its going to cost money to go through the appeals process, even without a lawyer which I of course can't afford. I very much do want phone call(s)- from Dennis Snethen, from Roger Degarmo, from my athlete reps, from the BOD, from USADA, from anyone that can and will resolve this absurdity.

The more I think about it, the more this decision really makes me want to throw up. I think there is something distinctly disturbing that they want to say I'm ineligible now, that I was ineligible when I won the Nationals last year, but they don't want to take my medal away and give it to whoever was second. I don't see how it can be both ways. Either I was ineligible and therefore someone else really won or I was and am still eligible. It was also extremely disturbing to hear USADA justifying the decision at the same time they demonstrated significant ignorance about the operation of the sport. When their ignorance was brought to their attention, they simply fell back to the attitude that this is the policy no matter what. They don't seem to care that they are completely misinterpreting the policy as written in their ignorance of vocabulary. They just want to suspend me without calling it a suspension. Do they get bonuses for suspending people or something?