Wes Kitts Agrees To 1-Month Sanction by ITA, Will Still Compete in Paris

Wes Kitts has accepted a sanction from the International Testing Agency (ITA) for an anti-doping rule violation arising from the unintentional use of a prohibited substance. His sample from the IWF World Cup in April contained methylhexaneamine, a stimulant only prohibited in competition. Although Wes appeared at this competition, he did not intend to compete at that competition due to injury. USA Weightlifting informed the IWF more than a week prior to his session that Wes would not be lifting.

The ITA and Wes agreed that, because of his unintentional use and the specific circumstances of his positive test, Wes would receive a one-month suspension from July 3 to August 2. He is eligible to represent the United States in competition, and is expected to compete Saturday, Aug. 10 in the men’s 102 kg competition in Paris.

USA Weightlifting supports a strong anti-doping system in our sport and respects the ITA’s decision. We believe the outcome is fair, and we’re grateful that Wes will have the opportunity to represent his country. He has been a valuable and well-respected representative of Team USA, the United States, and the sport of weightlifting for many years. Wes has been in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) registered testing pool for nearly a decade and has provided over 35 samples to USADA alone in his career.

USAW is looking forward to supporting Wes and the rest of Team USA at the Olympic Games.

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