Updated afternoon of July 30.
SANTA ANA, California, July 25. THE Orange County Register posted an in-depth article today on Jessica Hardy's links to AdvoCare, which is a supplement company that has also been linked to several other U.S. Olympians and has been banned for use by the NCAA. AdvoCare has since contacted Swimming World to run a response release that is located at the bottom of this article.
As everyone probably already knows by now, Hardy tested positive for clenbuterol during the U.S. Olympic Trials and is in the middle of an appeals process.
According to the article:
Hardy has promoted her use of AdvoCare products on both her personal website and company websites. On one AdvoCare site Hardy said she used 12 of the company's products with names like "Muscle Gain," "Muscle Strength," "Catalyst," "Amplify A.T." and "02 Gold."
"With AdvoCare, I have definitely noticed improved stamina and increased energy," Hardy said in an on-line AdvoCare advertisement. "I feel that AdvoCare products have helped make me an all-around better athlete."
Hardy's personal website with links to AdvoCare products was taken down Thursday afternoon.
Additionally, Scott M. Reid and Dan Albano reported the following information regarding AdvoCare and the NCAA:
The NCAA has banned schools from distributing some AdvoCare products because of health and performance enhancement concerns. The NCAA said an AdvoCare product has been linked to positive drug tests by college athletes for the stimulant synephrine. At least 14 product liability lawsuits have been filed against AdvoCare in U.S. District Court since 2002.
This portion of the story resulted in a correction by the paper here.
AdvoCare does not make nutritional supplements that contain substances banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. A diet supplement made by the company once contained a source of synephrine, a substance banned by the NCAA, but the product was reformulated two years ago and no longer contains that substance, according to the company.
Click here for the original, in-depth article from the Orange County Register.
In other news about Hardy's positive samples today, she spoke with CBS' The Early Show this morning.
"I have no idea how it happened," Hardy told The Early Show. "In my heart I know I'm 100 percent clean. I know that I am innocent. We just have to prove it."
Full text of CBS News article.
AdvoCare Response Release
AdvoCare products safe and free from all banned substances
July 25, 2008 – – Contrary to any false and misleading reports, AdvoCare products contain no ingredients banned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which monitor Olympic and amateur sports, or by the NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, or NASCAR. AdvoCare is aware of recent information about AdvoCare and some of the company's athletic endorsers in regard to our products and remains completely confident that all of our products contain only approved substances.
In the company's 15-year history, AdvoCare products have never tested positive for banned substances of any kind with any of our athletic endorsers.
AdvoCare strongly adheres to the highest principles of quality and integrity with respect to its products. Every ingredient in each AdvoCare product is listed on the product label. No ingredients are included which are not contained on the label. In addition the manufacture of AdvoCare products occurs in facilities authorized to produce foods and dietary supplements. Process and Quality Control programs are integral elements of the Quality Assurance programs for each manufacturer. All manufacturers operate in compliance with FDA Good Manufacturing Practices as enforced by the USFDA. Extensive analytical procedures are employed by both the manufacturers as well as third party laboratories to ensure the integrity and identity of each product.
