As many anti-doping organizations around the world have shut down anti-doping programs during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has launched a pilot program testing methods for athletes to be able to conduct and submit their own tests.
Among the swimmers participating in the beta test are Olympic gold medalists and World Record holders Katie Ledecky, Lilly King, and Ryan Murphy.
In the video below, Murphy shows the testing kit that athletes are sent, and describes the device that helps athletes draw their own blood relatively painlessly (similar to this device, called Tap.)
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“I’m really thankful to USADA for taking charge in this time. It would be really hard for someone to come to my house and administer a test for me. This is a really great alternative in this time, and I hope they learn a ton from this and potentially this could be the future of drug testing.
As a bonus, at the end of the video, Murphy also describes his dryland workout routine while he’s out of the pool.
The 24-year old Murphy is a 3-time Olympic medalist, winning the 100 and 200 individually and leading off the winning 400 medley relay at the 2016 Olympic Games. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Murphy lives in California and trains as a post-grad at Cal in the San Francisco area.
Don’t worry, you’re bound to get off the basement sofa one of these days.
So are they having a zoom meeting where a bunch of folks watch national teamers pee in a cup? Talk about stage fright.