After running in the Olympics, a US sprinter who Usain Bolt said would be the next big thing could face a four-year ban.
The Athletics Integrity Unit has appealed the sprinter’s permission to compete in Paris.
USA sprinter Erriyon Knighton may be suspended from athletics for four years, even though he will be competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The 20-year-old, who runs over 100 meters in addition to 200 meters as his speciality, qualified for the Olympics after placing third in the 200 meters at the US trials in a timing of 19.77 seconds.
Knighton won his heat at the actual Games, although his time of 19.99 only put him fourth behind the winning athlete from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo, and teammates Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.
The American had already competed in the Tokyo Olympics three years prior, where he placed fourth in the 200-meter final with a time of 19.93.
However, the sprinter’s ability to compete in Paris was questioned briefly after he tested positive for a prohibited substance a few days prior to the US trials.
He was allowed to compete by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after an arbitrator concluded that tainted meat was “probably” the source of the positive test.
He was provisionally suspended after the positive test, but no ban was enforced because of the no-fault violation he received.
According to a statement released at the time, “After the hearing, the arbitrator concluded that the likelihood of Knighton’s positive test being caused by eating meat contaminated with trenbolone, which is a recognised growth promoter for livestock and is used lawfully in the production of beef cattle that is exported to the United States, is high.
“Despite any error or carelessness, Knighton tested positive, therefore he won’t be barred from participating for a while.
“As the sample was obtained outside of a competition, there are no results from competitions to invalidate.”
The 20-year-old stated that eating oxtail at a Florida restaurant was the reason for the existence of a trenbolone metabolite, which is prohibited.
Photo of American sprinter Erriyon Knighton following the men’s 200-meter Olympic final in Paris
Before the Olympics, Knighton made the following statement to reporters: “You know, in my heart I never did [anything] wrong.
It’s kind of a relief that I made the squad because I’ve always been a decent athlete and can run. You know, every time I step onto the track, I’m grateful.”
However, the arbitrator’s first ruling has now been appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The Times claims that if Knighton is determined to have been at all responsible for the infraction, he may face a four-year ban from athletics.
Usain Bolt, the sprint legend from Jamaica, said earlier this year that Knighton was the only active sprinter who might come close to breaking his world record of 19.19 seconds for the 200 meters.
“There is one youngster that got my attention for a while,” he said to The Obi One Podcast. Knighton is his name, and he is American. He ran about 19.40 seconds.
“He just turned 20 years old. Thus, he was not too bad.
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