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via Reuters

via Reuters

Remember when Tara Davis-Woodhall had her national indoor title snatched in 2023 because of T*C? Yeah, WADA wasn’t playing, and she got hit with a one-month suspension too. So if anyone knows how wild this drug-testing game is, it’s Tara and other track stars. But if you don’t, here’s the deal: Out-of-competition testing is random, unannounced, and completely unavoidable. You could be a mid-Netflix binge, cooking dinner, or dead asleep, and boom, knock at the door and pee in a cup. And sometimes, just to keep things spicy, they’ll test you three times in 12 hours. We’ve already seen Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson call this out, and now Tara and Hunter Woodhall are feeling the heat.

After wrapping up a fun trip to New York, Tara Davis-Woodhall was back at Kansas State University on February 4th, where she works as an assistant coach. Even though she was dealing with a little food poisoning, that didn’t stop her from hitting the gym with Hunter Woodhall. The couple documented it all in a vlog on their personal YouTube channel, Tara and Hunter, but what caught their attention was their frustration with the drug-testing process.

The Olympic champion couple did not hold back, explaining just how exhausting it can be. “As professional athletes, we have to be in a drug testing pool to make sure we’re not doping, which we’re not. And, um, we have to put in a calendar where we will be every day, every hour, including a 1-hour window where you will be home, where they can come and test you,” she shared.

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Then came the real kicker: “Tara and I were watching Mr. Beast games last night—shout out to Jimmy—at 9:00 p.m. Someone knocks on our door. Who could be showing up at our house at 9:00 p.m.? Drug testing. Boom. Target’s drug test takes until like 11:30. Yeah, because they come at like 10:00 p.m., and I’m winding down, not really hydrating. So, 11:30 p.m., finally get out of there. We go to sleep. Door knock at 9:00 a.m. this morning. That woke me up, and I’m like, ‘Maybe I’m getting tested today.’ Nope. Both of us get tested—three tests within 12 hours of waking up.” No peace in Tara Davis and Hunter’s life! But, this isn’t the first time track and field stars have complained about this doping process!

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Before Tara Davis-Woodhall, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson shared their concerns

What’s your perspective on:

Is the current drug-testing regime too intrusive, or is it a necessary evil for clean sports?

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Athletes in the USADA drug-testing pool have to provide their whereabouts 24/7, meaning they can be tested at any time—morning, night, holidays, or even mid-relaxation. They submit their schedules every three months and update any changes daily through an app. While necessary for catching doping violations, the process can feel intrusive and exhausting. As triple jumper Tori Franklin explained, “On any given day at any given time, a USADA employee can knock on our door to test us. There is no warning… And once they leave, it’s considered a missed test.” Since three missed tests within a year count the same as a positive test, athletes can face suspensions even without failing a drug test.

Sha’Carri Richardson is no stranger to USADA’s strict policies. After her 2021 suspension for testing positive for T*C, she hasn’t held back her thoughts. In 2022, she took to social media to vent, saying, “USADA act more like a PO but they say they care about the sport 🤡.” And in 2024, surprise tests continued to interrupt her routine—she was tested on Easter, spoiling her holiday, and again just two days later. Even in Paris, while celebrating the unveiling of her Nike statue, she was met with yet another test.

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Noah Lyles has also had his fair share of run-ins with doping control. After anchoring Team USA’s 4x100m relay win at the World Athletics Relays, he was immediately met with testing. Sharing his exhaustion on Instagram, he wrote, “Just when you think the job is done, doping control comes take away the fun. It’s 1 a.m., I haven’t eaten, definitely haven’t slept, definitely haven’t showered. All I want is to go home.” His frustration captures what many athletes feel—while clean sport is crucial, the constant intrusions take a toll. With the track and field season approaching, the debate continues: how do we balance fairness in sports while respecting athletes’ lives?

 

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Is the current drug-testing regime too intrusive, or is it a necessary evil for clean sports?

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