Former Great Britain rugby league player Terry Newton, who in February became the first athlete in the world suspended for testing positive for human growth hormone, was found dead at his home in England on Sunday afternoon. The British Broadcasting Company reports that Newton, in the midst of a two-year suspension by the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Agency, hung himself.
In June, the thick-chested player spoke to BBC Radio 5 about his hopes of returning to the game after his ban, which he hoped to get reduced. "Initially it didn't bother me that I wasn't playing rugby, but now watching games it is starting to sink in," Newton, 31, said. "I've made one of the biggest mistakes of my life and I know it is something I will regret for the rest of my life."
Earlier this month, Matt Socholotiuk, a rookie running back at Ontario's University of Waterloo, was suspended for three years after testing positive for HGH. He is believed to be the first North American athlete caught with the substance in his system. The Canadian Football League recently became the first professional sports league in North America to test for HGH, and Major League Baseball implemented HGH testing at the minor-league level in July.
