US sprinter Knighton banned after losing doping appeal

US sprinter Erriyon Knighton, a treble satellite 200 metres medallist, indispensable service a four-year ban, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled connected Friday aft rejecting his statement that helium consumed steroids successful imported beef.

Knighton won bronze aged 19 astatine the 2022 World Championships successful Eugene, Oregon. A twelvemonth aboriginal helium took metallic successful Budapest.

He tested affirmative connected March 26, 2024, for epitrenbolone, an anabolic steroid, successful an out-of-competition trial and was provisionally suspended from April to June 2024.

Knighton was initially cleared by a US tribunal, which accepted the mentation of nutrient contamination successful clip for Knighton to tally successful the Paris Olympics, wherever helium finished 4th successful the 200m final.

After the Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and World Athletics appealed to CAS arguing, according to the court’s property release, that Knighton’s “explanations of a nutrient contamination script fell abbreviated of the required impervious of root and were statistically impossible.”

CAS took their side.

“There is nary impervious that would enactment the decision that oxtail imported into the USA would beryllium apt to incorporate trenbolone residues astatine the level required to person caused the Athlete’s Adverse Analytical Finding,” said the tribunal statement.

WADA invited the decision, saying: “WADA is pleased with the result and we volition proceed to entreaty cases to CAS erstwhile we consciousness justness has not been served.”

Knighton’s four-year ban, the tribunal said, volition see the play from 26 March, 2024 to 12 April, 2024.

He had not been selected for US squad for the satellite championships successful Tokyo which commencement connected Saturday.

The station US sprinter Knighton banned aft losing doping appeal appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.