DENVER-
Terry Madden will step down as leader of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, ending a seven-year stint running the country’s main line of defense against doping in sports, sources told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Madden will be replaced by USADA general counsel Travis Tygart after a transition period, according to people familiar with the organization who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced.
A former chief of staff to U.S. Olympic Committee president Bill Hybl, Madden was called on to lead USADA when the U.S. Olympic Committee formed the agency to separate itself from the doping fight. Many critics of the USOC said it had too great an interest in the outcome of cases and couldn’t be objective in going after drug cheats.
Madden led a 39-person office in Colorado Springs that ran on a $12 million annual budget funded by the USOC and the federal government. The agency constantly seeks better science to stay ahead of the curve as the list of hard-to-detect performance-enhancing drugs expands.
Most recently, USADA has been at the forefront of high-profile cases against several elite athletes, including Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and Olympic champion sprinter Justin Gatlin. USADA also has assisted in investigations that have led to convictions in the ongoing BALCO case.
Madden did not return an e-mail seeking comment.
