U.S. sprinter Erriyon Knighton was handed a four-year ban on Friday as part of a doping case that will rule the 21-year-old out of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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Judges for the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld appeals made by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Athletics Integrity Unit after Knighton was cleared in June 2024 following an independent arbitrator’s determination that Knighton’s failed drug test was “more likely than not” caused by contaminated meat.
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Knighton was found to have tested positive for a metabolite of the steroid trenbolone, which is used in livestock farming. He blamed the result on contaminated oxtail he purchased from a Florida bakery.
“After considering the scientific evidence, the CAS panel determined that 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 (positive test),” the court said.
“… World Athletes and WADA considered that the evidence submitted by the athlete and his explanations of a meat contamination scenario fell short of the required proof of source and were statistically impossible,” the court said.
That 2024 ruling allowed Knighton to take part in the Paris Olympics, which saw the Georgia native place fourth in the 200 meters.
Knighton will be eligible to be reinstated in July 2029.
Knighton posted the sixth-fastest time ever after running a 19.49 in the 200m in 2022. Only Noah Lyles and Michael Johnson have posted faster times among American sprinters.
A silver and bronze medalist in the 200m at the past two World Championships, Knighton failed to qualify for this year’s event which will begin on Saturday in Tokyo.
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