Just 3 days ago, Alix’s Italian club team Conegliano announced that they have terminated her contract.

Then yesterday, USADA.ORG issued this statement on its website:

AAA Panel Imposes 13-Month Sanction On U.S. Volleyball Athlete, Klineman, For Doping Violation

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December 20, 2013

USADA announced today that a three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA), rendered its decision in the case of Alexandra Klineman, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., an athlete in the sport of Volleyball. The AAA panel found that Klineman has committed an anti-doping rule violation, and will serve a 13-month suspension.

Klineman, 23, tested positive for the presence of an androgenic anabolic steroid or its precursors, which was confirmed by CIR (GC/C/IRMS) analysis, after three out-of-competition urine samples were collected by USADA. The AAA panel accepted Klineman’s explanation that her results were from the inadvertent ingestion of her mother’s DHEA supplement, and that her violation was not intentional cheating. Anabolic Androgenic Steroids are prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the International Volleyball Federation (“FIVB”)Anti-Doping Rules, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (“Code”) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. In accordance with the rules, since all three samples were collected in short succession and prior to notification of the first positive result, the three adverse analytical findings will be treated as one offense.

The AAA Panel determined that a 13-month sanction was appropriate given the mitigating circumstances of her case. Klineman’s period of ineligibility began on May 22, 2013 the day her first sample was collected.

The AAA decision is available on the USADA website at http://www.usada.org/arbitration-decisions/

In an effort to aid athletes, as well as all support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs. In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, periodic newsletters, and protocol and policy reference documentation.

USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

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CONTACT:
Media Relations
Phone: (719) 785-2000
E-mail: media@usada.org

From A Volleyball Fan

I think the whole process up to its resolution was handled maturely by Alix and I’m glad to hear the sentence was reduced since the doping was established to be inadvertent and clearly not with the intent to gain competitive advantage.

Klineman’s mom had mistakenly put her own DHEA supplements in Alix’s vitamin organizer when Alix stayed in her parent’s house after getting home from Europe.

Evidently, these DHEA supplements were unmarked, small round white tablets which looked nearly identical to Alix’s iron pills that she was taking to correct an iron deficiency as recommended by USAV, so Alix did not notice anything unusual or know that her mom had mixed up their pills.

Supporting documents and testimonies by Alix, her parents and USA’s coach Karch Kiraly in behalf of Alix were all accepted by USADA and AAA as credible and they found that there was:

1) no intention to dope,
2) no intention to gain competitive advantage,
3) no competitive advantage was gained,
4) player diligently took reasonable precautions to avoid ingesting prohibited substances

and therefore there was No Significant Fault/No Significant Negligence, thus the reduction of penalty from 2 years to 13 months.

And because Alix did everything humanly possible to cooperate with USADA and provide all information required, her ineligibility has been deemed to start as as of last May.

Honest mistakes do happen, and hopefully this case encourages young athletes to double check/triple check anything they may be taking.

Click HERE To Read A Detailed of Alix Klineman’s Doping Violation

Again mistakes happen. We can’t wait to see you play again Alix!

Click HERE to know more about Alix.