United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) presented the 2024 Max Ritter award, posthumously, to Dr. Donald Catlin.
Dr. Catlin was a pioneer and a champion of worldwide anti-doping efforts throughout his career. United States Aquatic Sports President Patty Miller was joined by USA Swimming President and CEO Tim Hinchey and Olympic swimming gold medalist Anthony Ervin in a special presentation of the award to Dr. Oliver Catlin, the son of the man who founded the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in the lead up to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“To receive an award from USAS is really touching. I am moved beyond words, and I am very, very grateful to know that you thought of him at this time. It’s so kind of you to honor my father at a time when you are busy preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games,” Oliver Catlin said. “I look forward to displaying this award in our office to remind ourselves and others of his contributions. Every day I think about him and every day I work to carry forward his legacy as best as I can and keep up the good fight to ensure clean sport.
“It’s nice to see the effect that clean sport has had within swimming. We know that there is still more that can be done, and we would love to do more. Please tell Katie Ledecky and other athletes that the system is not totally broken. We are still finding and unearthing those who cross the boundaries, and we will keep doing that. We have been through these things before and we have shown that we can collectively be strong in our fight for clean sport.”
Dr. Catlin was an American anti-doping scientist and one of the founders of modern drug-testing in professional sports. A medical doctor and an expert in pharmacology, he ran drug testing for sports leagues and the Olympics, unlocking the chemical codes for previously undetectable designer steroids.
“He was the pioneer of anti-doping, and I think having someone with his stature and academic background with a lab at one of the finest universities of the world, UCLA, brought credibility to the scientific side” of anti-doping, said Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Catlin was featured in the documentary film Icarus, where he introduced the American producer Bryan Fogel to the Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov; the subsequent events helped expose the Russian doping scandal.
“If I can speak today for athletes, I would like to say that athletes cherish fair and clean sport, something which is so very important to all athletes,” Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin said. “Our thanks for the work that your father has done to clean up sport, to create the testing and to help to lead to justice for many of the athletes that deserved it. It’s been a trying time in our sport with what has been going on recently. We need to believe in these things now more than ever. His spirit is with us. This award is a small way of thanking you and your family for all that he did for athletes.”
The Max Ritter Award is sponsored by United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) and is given to someone who has promoted a greater understanding among nations and enhanced goodwill, particularly in aquatics. The family of aquatic sports organizations that comprise USAS includes USA Artistic Swimming, USA Diving, U.S. Masters Swimming, USA Swimming and USA Water Polo. USAS is one of the 209 national federation members affiliated to World Aquatics.