90-year-old who failed doping control says testers are wasting their time

Carl Grove, the 90-year-old American caught using prohibited substances, says the anti-doping testers are wasting their time with older athletes.

Grove's tested positive for epitrenbolone, which is a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone, after winning the national title and breaking the pursuit world record in the 90-94 age group on July 11.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said it likely was caused by eating contaminated meat, but stripped his title after an investigation that revealed he was using a supplement with another banned substance, clomiphene.

"Us old guys are kind of like peanuts," Grove told the Associated Press. "I think that they're wasting their time.

"What can I gain at 90 years old doing drugs? Tell me, I just don't know.

"I think that somewhere there ought to be a cut-off and they ought to zero in on the stuff that is done for money reasons or whatever it may be. But I think after 65 or 70, you know, they ought to just give up."

Grove got off easy, however. The USADA gave Grove a "public warning" and disqualified him from the results obtained, but it did not suspend him from racing. The agency also said that he passed the earlier tests taken at the Masters Championships.

"It looked like I had not been an honest person to a lot of people. I guess I was kind of worried about what did other people think, you know?" Grove continued.

"Then, I began to think, 'Well, some of them will believe me and some of them won't.' I guess that's just the way it is."

Grove, 91 next July, is a former United States Navy Band saxophonist and played for US presidents while in the armed forces. His mother and father lived to 105 and 97, respectively. He said he would continue to compete.

"Sometimes, I ride in the morning and it's a beautiful sunrise. I'm alive. I'm looking. I'm looking around. I'm feeling good. I'm so happy," he added.

"I've got so many gold medals and ribbons and stuff, and that doesn't count. What counts is getting out there and doing the best I can do and show people what they can do."

His next goal is to break the hour record for the 90-94 age group. Frenchman René Gaillard set the record at 29.278 kilometres on October 23, 2017.