Olympic Surfer Miguel Tudela Suspended for Steroid Use

Doping, or steroid use, isn’t much of a concern when it comes to competitive surfing.

It’s not like surfers are shooting up PEDs (performance enhancing drugs), getting juiced in the locker room, then banging out homers like Mark McGwire circa 1996.

And yet, on occasion, it does happen. Like recently with Peruvian surfer Miguel Tudela, who competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, although Tudela has been sidelined from competition after violating an anti-doping rule, it appears there’s more to the story.

Per the International Testing Agency (ITA), which the International Surfing Association (ISA) employs to keep its surfers in check, Tudela tested positive for a banned substance.

“On 6 January 2024,” the ITA stated, “the athlete provided a sample during an out-of-competition anti-doping control performed by the ITA. The analysis of the sample by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory returned an adverse analytical finding¹ for metenolone and its metabolites.”

They added: “Metenolone is prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List as S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids. It is classified as a non-specified substance and prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition). Metenolone stimulates muscle growth and assists the recovery after strenuous effort.”

This has resulted in a 16-month period of ineligibility.

However, speaking to The Inertia, Tudela claimed the steroid was dispensed as part of plasma treatment following a knee injury. Tudela explained:

“During the proceedings, we presented all the evidence demonstrating a medical error in the plasma treatment I received, which resulted in unintentional contamination. The judge concluded that there was no intent or malicious conduct on my part and considered the evidence presented credible and sufficient.

“However, according to current anti-doping regulations, even when an athlete is deemed not to have doped intentionally, they can still be sanctioned with a suspension.”

Previously, Portuguese surfer Vasco Ribeiro was banned from competition after refusing to take an anti-doping urine test in 2024.