U.S. Ski Racer Breezy Johnson Hit With 14-Month Ban by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today, Monday, May 13, 2024, that U.S. ski racer Breezy Johnson, of Victor, Idaho, has accepted a 14-month sanction for committing three “Whereabouts Failures” within a 12-month period. It is important to understand that this does not imply in any way that Breezy Johnson has been using banned substances. This ban is a result of Johnson’s failure to register her location in the USADA database as is required by elite athletes. Accurate whereabouts information is crucial for effective out-of-competition testing, which helps deter and detect doping by enabling no-notice sample collection. This is especially important because some prohibited substances have limited detection windows.

”I want to emphasize that a Whereabouts case does not involve any banned substance. Rather, my case is about whether I updated my location information correctly. I am, and always have been, a clean athlete.”
— Breezy Johnson

To aid athletes, as well as 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 file and update athlete whereabouts, 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.

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At the time of the Whereabouts Failures, Johnson, 28, was included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP), which consists of a select group of elite athletes subject to certain Whereabouts requirements in order to be located for out-of-competition testing. Within a 12-month period, Johnson accrued three Whereabouts Failures: the first on October 29, 2022, the second on June 13, 2023, and the third on October 10, 2023.

The accumulation of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period constitutes a rule violation under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code. The period of ineligibility for Whereabouts rule violations ranges from one year to two years depending on the athlete’s degree of fault. In this case, USADA determined that a 14-month period of ineligibility was appropriate because Johnson’s degree of fault was relatively low given the circumstances of the case.

Johnson’s 14-month period of ineligibility began on October 10, 2023, the date of her third Whereabouts Failure. In addition, Johnson has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to October 10, 2023, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes. This means Breezy Johnson will be able to return to racing from mid-December 2024.

These whereabouts requirements are not unique to the U.S. but are a requirement of Olympic-level elite athletes across the globe. In America, the USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.