U.S. Olympian Hassan Mead accepts three-year doping ban

Former U.S. Olympian and 2018 NACAC 10,000m champion Hassan Mead has accepted a three-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.

On Nov. 29, USADA announced that Mead, 33, tested positive for two anabolic agents—ostarine (enobosarm) and ligandrol (metabolite di-hydroxy-LGD-4033) as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on Oct. 17. Mead has not competed since the 2022 Prefontaine Classic on May 27. 

Athletes will use ostarine to increase muscular strength and power without causing excessive weight gain or water retention. Ligandrol can make fat loss more efficient and has muscle-gaining effects.

Although Mead has not raced in six months or announced his retirement, he will not be eligible to compete until 2025. Since 2012, Mead trained with Nike’s Oregon Track Club (OTC) under coach Mark Rowland. Rowland is currently the Athletics Canada West Hub Coach (Endurance) in Victoria, a position he took earlier this summer.

We were unable to reach Rowland for a comment by the time of publication.

Mead’s agent Chris Layne gave a comment to CitiusMag regarding the ban:

“Mead stopped running and let us know he would be retiring immediately at the end of May 2022. At this point, he stopped training and started to take an over-the-counter pre-workout drink for lifting in the gym. Mead made a regrettable decision to not file the retirement paperwork, which kept him in the USADA testing pool until November. Mead has never failed a drug test while competing and this is a sad situation of not filing paperwork on time.”

The Portland, Ore. runner is the second OTC athlete to receive anti-doping sanctions this year. His teammate and 2012 Olympic silver medallist in the 800m, Nijel Amos, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the use of GW1516—a drug that modifies how the body metabolizes fat and that boosts endurance.

Mead has represented Team USA six times internationally, with his top finish coming at the 2016 Olympic Games, where he was 11th in the men’s 5,000m final. He made a run at qualifying in the 5,000m for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but he wound up 11th at U.S. Olympic Trials.