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Erriyon Knighton, a two-time world 200m medallist, has been handed a four-year ban.
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CAS rejected his defence that a positive test came from contaminated beef, calling it “statistically impossible.”
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WADA and World Athletics welcomed the ruling.
Erriyon Knighton, a two-time world 200m medallist, has been banned for four years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected his defence that a positive test came from contaminated imported beef.
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The U.S sprinter Knighton tested positive for the anabolic steroid epitrenbolone on 26 March 2024 in an out-of-competition test.
A US tribunal initially accepted his food-contamination explanation and cleared him to race at the Paris Olympics, where he finished fourth; however, WADA and World Athletics appealed and took the case to CAS.
In its ruling, CAS said Knighton’s “meat contamination” explanation failed to prove the source and was “statistically impossible.”
“There is no proof that would support the conclusion that oxtail imported into the USA would be likely to contain trenbolone residues at the level required to have caused the Athlete’s Adverse Analytical Finding.” – the court added.
According to CAS, the four-year ban will be in effect from March 26, 2024, to April 12, 2024, removing Knighton from competition for a significant stretch of his prime years.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/cx2xg7482vlo
WADA welcomed the decision, saying:
“WADA is pleased with the outcome and we will continue to appeal cases to CAS when we feel justice has not been served.”
World Athletics also supported the appeal that led to the CAS ruling.
The case underlines how athletes are subject to severe liability and how difficult it is to demonstrate unintentional contamination.
Erriyon Knighton’s absence will be felt on the track, and the athletics community will be watching for any further appeals or developments.
