69-year-old shot-put champion banned three years after positive steroid test at USATF Masters
US Anti‑Doping Agency finds Mesterolone and synthetic testosterone in sample from July competition
A 69-year-old masters athlete, Michael Hooker of Nashville, Tennessee, has accepted a three-year suspension from competition after testing positive for two anabolic steroids at the USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships held July 17 in Huntsville, Alabama, the U.S. Anti‑Doping Agency said.
Hooker won the over‑65 men’s shot put at Milton Frank Stadium, posting a final round mark of 12.55 meters, but a urine sample collected at the event tested positive for Mesterolone and a synthetic form of testosterone, USADA said in a statement. His results from the July 17 competition have been vacated.
USADA said it used isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) testing to differentiate between naturally produced testosterone and synthetic testosterone in Hooker’s sample. The testing method is routinely used in anti‑doping programs to identify exogenous hormone use.
Under standard USADA rules, a first anti‑doping violation for steroid use typically carries a four‑year period of ineligibility. USADA allows a reduction of one year when an athlete admits the violation and accepts the imposed sanction within 20 days; Hooker accepted the sanction and will be barred from competition through the summer of 2028, when he will be 72.
The suspension was announced by USADA in a procedural statement; the agency did not disclose additional details about how the substances were obtained or whether there were other pending matters related to the case. Hooker’s positive test and subsequent sanction remove his title and mark from the official results of the 2025 USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships.
Masters athletics provides competitive opportunities for athletes aged 35 and older in five‑year age groups, including the over‑65 division in which Hooker competed. Steroid violations in masters competition are subject to the same testing protocols and sanctions as in open‑age events, USADA officials have said in past statements.
The USA Track & Field Masters Outdoor Championships draw competitors from across the country and are part of the national calendar for veteran athletes. The federation and USADA maintain that their anti‑doping programs apply uniformly across all levels and age divisions to protect fair competition and athlete health.
USADA did not respond immediately to requests for further comment. Hooker’s acceptance of the sanction ends the case administratively unless he chooses to seek reinstatement procedures after the suspension period or challenge the ruling through available legal avenues before the period begins, which the agency’s rules allow under limited circumstances.
The vacating of results from the July 17 meet will be reflected in the official standings for the event, and prize placements and any related records will be adjusted in accordance with USADA and event policies. The agency’s decision follows laboratory confirmation of prohibited substances in his sample and the athlete’s timely admission of the violation.