Jessica Foschi
Personal information
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Alma mater
Sport
SportSwimming

Jessica Kate Foschi (born 1980) is an American former competition swimmer.

Early life and education

Foschi is from Old Brookville, New York,[1][2][3][4] and started swimming competitively at five years old[5] at the Long Island Athletic Club.[6][4] By the age of 12 she was setting regional age group records.[7][8] In 1992, she made the Junior National Team and won three national freestyle events.[1]

She graduated from Friends Academy high school in 1998, and went on to attend Stanford University.[1][2][9] She graduated from Duke Law School in 2007.[10] While at Duke, she wrote a 2006 law review note on the general issues of doping and sports in the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law[10][11] that is described as "impressive" in a 2015 textbook about sports law that also reviews and analyzes her experience with USA Swimming, the American Arbitration Association, FINA, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport that began in 1995.[12]

Swimming career

In March 1995, at age 14, Foschi placed second in the 800 freestyle at the Spring Nationals to Janet Evans by less than a half-second.[1][13][14] By November 1995, Foschi had a global ranking of 13th in the 800 freestyle, and according to Newsday was considered by "most swimming observers" to be a "longshot" for the 1996 Olympics team but otherwise "a clear candidate for elite status later in her career."[15]

In November 1995, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Foschi tested positive for steroids after coming in third place for the 1500-meter freestyle at the August 1995 Summer Nationals championships in Pasadena, California.[15][1][16] The steroid found in her urine, mesterolone, was not legally available in the United States and was found in her sample at one of the highest levels measured in a male or female athlete.[17]

In November 1995, a three-member USA Swimming panel, by a vote of 2–1, put Foschi on probation, which meant she continued to be eligible to compete, including for the 1996 Olympics.[18] After Foschi, her parents, and coach submitted polygraph tests supporting their denials of knowledge about the use of steroids,[16] the panel found Foschi either had no knowledge of consuming the steroid or had been sabotaged.[18] Medical evidence was submitted to the panel that found chronic steroid use "very improbable" and showed all subsequent tests were negative for the steroid.[17][19] The sabotage finding was the first in United States sports, and panel members who believed Foschi was a victim of sabotage noted the high level of the steroid found in her test result.[17][20]

After the probation decision, Foschi set New York State records in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle in November 1995.[21] According to the Buffalo News, Foschi received "polite applause" at the awards ceremony, and commented about the impact of the probation decision, "It's a little more difficult than it normally would be, but I'm basically trying to focus on my swimming, and not try to worry too much about that. It only messes up my focus."[21]

In February 1996, the president of USA Swimming appealed the probation decision to the USA Swimming board, seeking an automatic suspension[18] because of the duty of an athlete to guard against sabotage,[17] and there was a hearing in which Foschi testified and denied knowingly consuming banned substances.[18][6][16] During the hearing, it was stipulated that Foschi did not knowingly take mesterolone, and the issue to be decided was whether international swimming guidelines permitted a lack of knowledge to serve as a defense.[18] In February 1996, USA Swimming changed the sanction to a two-year suspension,[16][22] which made her ineligible to compete in the Olympic trials.[18] FINA, the organization that administers international swimming competitions, then imposed a lighter sanction on another swimmer in a similar case, and the USA Swimming president then again appealed the suspension decision to the USA Swimming board, which in late February 1996, removed the suspension and restored the two-year probation.[16][17][23][24]

Before the suspension was decided, Foschi's parents filed a lawsuit in the United States federal court system on her behalf against USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee to contest the suspension, and the case was moved to a New York trial court.[18][25][17][22][note 1] After USA Swimming restored the probation, Foschi competed in the U.S. Olympics trials in March 1996.[26][27][25] Foschi finished the trials without qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, placing 4th in the 800-meter freestyle, 5th in the 400 freestyle, and 9th in the 200 freestyle.[28][10][29] After the trials, Foschi commented, "I wasn't that concerned about not making the team, I just wanted to swim the fastest time."[30]

Before competing in the Olympics trials, Foschi had filed an appeal pursuant to the Amateur Sports Act of 1978[26] and testified before an American Arbitration Association panel.[28] In April 1996, the AAA panel removed all United States sanctions[26][31][32] and in its ruling stated "the imposition of any sanction on [Foschi] so deeply offends our deeply rooted and historical concepts of fundamental fairness so as to be arbitrary and capricious", and found FINA strict liability rules to be unenforceable.[12][26] The AAA decision also noted the recent FINA decision to impose lighter sanctions in a similar case.[26]

In June 1996, FINA imposed a retroactive two-year international suspension against Foschi as of August 1995.[12][26][32] In August 1996, Foschi won the national 5K open water championship in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.[32][17][33] Shortly before the open water competition, Foschi placed 9th in the 1500 meter freestyle at the United States Swimming National Championships, and referring to the FINA decision, said, "It finally all caught up with me. I didn't feel it before at all and now it finally hit me."[32] Foschi appealed the FINA decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which decided Foschi had failed to affirmatively disprove any responsibility for the results of the steroid test, reduced the suspension to six months and ordered $10,000 paid to Foschi for legal costs.[12][26][17]

Foschi swam in college with the Stanford University team[1] and was the captain of the team her senior year.[34][35] In the 2000–2001 season, the Stanford team placed second at the Division I NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and Foschi was the NCAA Division I individual champion for the 500-yard freestyle,[36][2] and the runner up for the 1650-yard freestyle.[37] She also tried out for the United States' Olympic team in 2000 and 2004, but did not qualify.[10]

Awards and honors

In 1995, 1996, and 1997, Foschi was the New York state champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle.[9][1] She was the national high school champion in the 500 swimming event in 1996.[9] In 1996, as a member of the US National Team, she ranked as one of the top 16 swimmers in the world for the 800 meters.[38]

In 1996, Foschi won the national 5K open water championship in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,[32][17][33] and the 10k open water championship in 1997.[39] In 1998 she finished first in the 100-yard freestyle in the 1998 Speedo junior championship.[40]

In 1997 and 1998, she earned Scholastic All-American honors as an independent swimmer,[1][2][9] and ultimately was an All-American 15 times.[34]

The New York State record for the 500 freestyle set in 1995[21] was held by Foschi for 22 years.[34]

In 2019, Foschi was named to the Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame.[9]

Personal life

Her brother, J. P. Foschi, was signed by the New York Jets in 2004.[41]

Notes

  1. ↑ This lawsuit later resulted in a settlement agreement for USA Swimming to pay $92,000 for legal costs incurred on behalf of Foschi.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hahn, Alan (1999-03-28). "Water Under Bridge". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 114. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Baumbach, Jim (March 15, 2001). "NCAA SWIMMING / Foschi's A Winner At Home". Newsday. pp. A77. Retrieved 18 March 2022 – via ProQuest.
  3. ↑ Olympic Monitor. Vol. 147. Time Magazine. March 11, 1996. p. 19 – via archive.org.
  4. 1 2 Best, Neil (1994-05-03). "Women's Foundation turns 20". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 66. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  5. ↑ Krupinski, Joe (1994-10-09). "Building Better Future". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 204. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  6. 1 2 Berkowitz, Steve (February 13, 1996). "At hearing, swimmer denies taking steroids". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  7. ↑ Quinones, Eric (1993-07-29). "Different strokes - Olympic-level pool propels LI swimmers". Newsday (Nassau Edition). p. 35. Retrieved 2022-03-18. Last weekend, for example, Jessica Foschi, 12, of Brookville, broke the age-group records in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle events at the Senior Metropolitan Championships at West Point.
  8. ↑ "Swimming". Newsday (Nassau Edition). 1993-08-01. p. 193. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nassau athletics HOF class announced". Herald Community Newspapers. July 24, 2019. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Baumbach, Jim (2007-06-10). "Beyond the FIGHT: Ten years after being exonerated from a positive test for steroids, Jessica Foschi has graduated from law school". Newsday (Nassau Edition). p. 70. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  11. ↑ Foschi, Jessica K (2006). "A Constant Battle: the Evolving Challenges in the International Fights against Doping in Sport". Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law. 16 (2): 457–486. ISSN 1053-6736. OCLC 774604306.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Weiler, Paul C. (2015). Sports and the law : text, cases, problems. Internet Archive. St. Paul, MN : West Academic Publishing. pp. 1182–1183, 1199. ISBN 978-1-62810-161-4.
  13. ↑ "Evans wins 800-meter title". The San Bernardino County Sun. 1995-03-15. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  14. ↑ "Janet Evans adds to streak". Star Tribune. 1995-03-15. p. 26. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  15. 1 2 Jeansonne, John (November 3, 1995). "Swimmer, 15, Fails Test for Steroids". Newsday. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Rosen, Daniel M. (2008-06-30). Dope: A History of Performance Enhancement in Sports from the Nineteenth Century to Today. ABC-CLIO. pp. 91–93. ISBN 978-0-313-34521-0.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Charles Yesalis (1998). The steroids game. Internet Archive. Human Kinetics. pp. 175–177. ISBN 978-0-88011-494-3.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Longman, Jere (13 February 1996). "SWIMMING;Long Island Swimmer Testifies Before Board". The New York Times.
  19. ↑ Whitten, Philip (January 1996). "The Jessica Foschi issue". Vol. 37, no. 1. Swimming World & Junior Swimmer.
  20. ↑ Incorporated, Facts On File (2007). Drugs and Sports. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-2444-5.
  21. 1 2 3 Monnin, Mary Jo (November 19, 1995). "Swim Records Buoy Section IV After Title Hopes Take Dive". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  22. 1 2 Romano, John (February 14, 1996). "Swimmer loses case on appeal". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 May 2022. Updated Sep. 15, 2005
  23. ↑ Brennan, Christine (February 27, 1996). "Foschi Expected at U.S. Olympic Trials". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  24. ↑ Schmuck, Peter (March 6, 1996). "Error sinks medal hope Minor turn violation disqualifies Quance from her best event; Had won 400 IM by 4 seconds; Local swimmer Metzler almost sure Olympian". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  25. 1 2 Harris, Beth (March 8, 1996). "Evans Beats Bennett; Foschi Fails Again". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nafziger, James A. R. (2002). "Dispute Resolution in the Arena of International Sports Competition". American Journal of Comparative Law. 50: 161–179. doi:10.2307/840875. ISSN 0002-919X. JSTOR 840875.
  27. ↑ Dolan, Beth (March 7, 1996). "Dolan Narrowly Misses World Record; Foschi Wins Consolation". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  28. 1 2 Hersh, Philip (March 11, 1996). "Foschi Exits Quietly But Respectably". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  29. ↑ Jeansonne, John (1996-03-12). "Foschi Loses: Finishes 4th in 800M at Trials". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 65. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  30. ↑ "Foschi's Controversial Bid To Make Olympic Team Ends Without A Berth". The Seattle Times. March 12, 1996. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  31. ↑ "Foschi Cleared In Drug Case". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 9, 1996. Retrieved 3 March 2022 – via Gale.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 Robb, Sharon (August 17, 1996). "Foschi Bounces Back with Open-Water Victory". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  33. 1 2 "SWIMMING/DIVING". Orlando Sentinel. August 18, 1996. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  34. 1 2 3 Keith, Braden (November 8, 2016). "Lindsay Stone Breaks Controversial NY Record at Section 5 Championship". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  35. ↑ Silver, Michael; Coughlin, Natalie (2006-04-18). Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion. Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 978-1-60961-670-0.
  36. ↑ Jeffrey, Josh (March 2001). Three in a row for Georgia by narrowest margin. University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services. Swim News. p. 26.
  37. ↑ Bishop Books (2001). The Sports illustrated 2002 sports almanac. Internet Archive. New York : Bishop Books. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-929049-66-0.
  38. ↑ Monnin, Mary Jo (November 24, 1996). "KALOTA PRODUCES STROKE OF GOOD FORTUNE IN STATES". Buffalo News. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  39. ↑ Jeansonne, John (2000-08-11). "Growing pains". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 78. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  40. ↑ Jim, Baumbach (1998-03-26). "Calmness welcomed by Foschi". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 74. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  41. ↑ Rieber, Anthony (2004-09-04). "Dream chasers". Newsday. p. 39. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
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