Once Again, We Are Here For Your Pee

It’s 6:30am and once again I am awoken by not my alarm, but by the drug testers… And believe it or not I was happy to see them.  You see, I’m “randomly” drug tested often and it had been WAY too long since my last “random” drug test… 2 months to be exact.   For example, last year, they came to drug test me on 3 different days within one week, so a 2 month gap had me worried that I had missed their attempt to drug test me.  Three missed tests are an automatic 2 year ban from Track & Field.

I am actually required to guarantee 1 hour of each day a location I will be at, where I can be randomly tested.  If they come to drug test me during this hour and I am not there it is considered a missed test.  Additionally, random testing means just that!  They literally show up without any previous warning, wherever I may be (i.e. St. Kitts, Kansas or Timbaktu) and drug test me.  And once they have notified me that I am being drug tested I cannot leave their sight.  At all times a drug tester must be with me until I provide a urine or blood sample… And yes, they watch you pee… Actually they must be able to see the steady stream of urine flow into the cup.

These drug testing procedures are different than that of the NFL, NHL and MLB, but, are in line with most other Olympic sports.  And while they may appear quite stringent, I am grateful for them.  I just wish the procedure of reporting your whereabouts was a lot easier, especially since it can change at a moments notice…. (I think I see a future Achtung blog on this topic… stay tuned!)

Supporting a drug free sport,

Nicole