I've always been a person trying to set an example. But now because of what Howard calls an innocent mistake, a cloud has been cast over his career. Three weeks ago, he received a letter from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency notifying him that he had tested positive for ephedrine at that meet, held in Atlanta in early March. Because it was the first time he had tested positive, Howard was issued a public warning. He was also stripped of his second-place finish in the triple jump at the Indoor Championships.
People never get the full story, then it trickles down to the next person and the next person.
This invalidates all my hard work and everything I've done. There's nothing I can do, just defend myself, which is going to be a hard thing to do. As a triple jumper, Howard says he aims to be as lean and explosive as possible. Trying to drop a few pounds before the national meet, he decided to try Xenadrine, a dietary supplement he had seen advertised on television that claims to aid in rapid weight loss while preserving muscle mass. Finding none, he thought it would be safe to take the supplement.