Brooksby’s 18-month suspension for “whereabouts” failure confirmed

The American’s suspension has been backdated to begin in July 2023

Jenson Brooksby in Rome in 2022 (Inside/Panoramic)

October 25, 2023

Jenson Brooksby’s suspension for committing three “whereabouts” failures in 12 months has been confirmed.

The American took a voluntary provisional suspension shortly after being notified of the charge in the summer, so his ban will be backdated to 5 July 2023 and end on 4 January 2025.

A tribunal met earlier in the month to discuss one of the three missed tests, which Brooksby disputed. However, they found that the doping control officer “took all reasonable steps to locate the player” and that Brooksby had been negligent by not making himself available for testing during the identified time slot.

Brooksby responded on his social media that he was “very disappointed” with his suspension. He explained further that he had been in his hotel room for the entirety of his testing window, but the room was booked in the name of his physio although Brooksby’s name was also on it. He added that the doping control officer had not asked the hotel to call his room, but had rung his mobile phone four minutes before the closure of the testing window.

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Three “whereabouts” failures – which can include missed tests or filing failures – within any 12-month period can lead to a maximum two-year suspension. In Brooksby’s case, three missed tests were registered within a 12-month period from April 2022.

ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse commented in a statement, “The whereabouts programme is a vital tool in maintaining a clean sport. No-one wants players to fall foul of the rules in this way. We offer regular support and education to all players who are part of the whereabouts programme and make ourselves available to answer any questions. We urge all players to take the necessary steps to ensure that they are meticulous with their whereabouts filings.”