Olympic medalist Aaron Brooks suspended for two years by USADA

Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Aaron Brooks, a 2018 North Hagerstown graduate, has been suspended for two years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for the anabolic agent DHEA.

The suspension is retroactive to June 2025 and will conclude in 2027. Brooks, a four-time Maryland high school state champion for the Hubs and a four-time NCAA Division I national champion at Penn State, will be eligible to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The USADA announced the sanction on the evening of Feb. 18, 2026, bringing to a close a several-month-long ordeal that included a hearing before an independent arbitrator last November.

According to the USADA, Brooks tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a natural hormone produced by the human body which also is sold in synthetic form.

The USADA wanted a four-year suspension, according to the arbitration decision.

The arbitrator concluded that Brooks "has demonstrated that his ingestion was not intentional," according to the arbitration decision, and lowered the suspension to two years.

Brooks' positive test came from an out-of-competition sample last April. At his arbitration hearing, Brooks said he bought an over-the-counter supplement five days after being released from the hospital, where he was treated for pneumonia.

The report states that Brooks took the supplement for two weeks before looking into if "it was providing any benefit." That's when Brooks discovered DHEA is prohibited by the USADA, according to the report.

After the initial report of the failed test came out last June, Brooks released a statement that read: "I've been dealing with some major medical issues which is why I haven't competed this year. To the next and upcoming generation, always be mindful of what you put in your body. Ignorance kills and even something that seems innocent at your local grocery store can cause consequences. I'll be back soon."

Brooks' sanction runs through June 12, 2027. The 2028 Summer Olympics begin July 14 in Los Angeles.

Brooks won the bronze medal at 86 kilograms at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has not competed since.

Brooks was inducted into the Washington County Sports Hall of Fame last year.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Olympic wrestler Aaron Brooks suspended two years by USADA