Ep. 53: Starky Explains How Pneumonia Got Him a Doping Sanction The Triathlete Hour

This week’s conversation has a been a little while in the making. We’re talking to the one, the only Andrew "Starky" Starykowicz. The popular athlete was the first American to break 8 hours in an Ironman and is known for his blistering bike splits, but maybe most importantly he’s also known for his openness and for always saying what he thinks.
In December, it was announced that Starky had received a 13-month sanction from Ironman for using a banned inhaler after getting pneumonia—and much of our conversation today is understandably about the circumstances around his use of the prescribed inhaler and how the process worked, or didn’t, for him.
You can read more about the fight over the sanction here.
It's important to note that Ironman has said they followed all rules and regulations laid out by the World Anti-Doping Agency and by the US Anti-Doping Agency.
It's also important to note that no one involved is disputing the basic facts of what happened: Starky got pneumonia and was prescribed an inhaler in order to recover from the illness, and then raced Ironman Florida. No one appears to think or suggest that he was attempting to cheat. What is at question is if the letter or the spirit of the rules were broken.
As promised in the episode, we're including more links for information on the sanction and process:

Starykowicz’s blog post announcing the sanction and his release of transcripts from the hearing


Ironman’s statement on the sanction

The Court of Arbitration for Sport decision

The arbitrator’s November 2020 decision under Ironman’s anti-doping program

The PTO’s statement

Ironman’s response


This episode is sponsored by the New York City Triathlon. Visit nyctri.com for more information about the race and entering the lottery.