Erriyon Knighton ban: Sprinter handed four-year doping ban as Cas rules in favour of appeals by World Athletics and Wada

United States sprinter Erriyon Knighton has been handed a four-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upheld appeals from World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision not to suspend him.

Knighton tested positive for trenbolone – a banned substance used for muscle growth – in March 2024 but avoided a ban following an independent arbitrator’s ruling and was cleared to compete at the 2024 Olympics.

The 21-year-old was not selected by the USA for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo and his ban takes immediate effect.

Knighton, who finished fourth in the 200m in Paris last summer, submitted evidence claiming the adverse findings were due to meat contamination.

World Athletics and Wada found the evidence “fell short of the required proof of source” and was “statistically impossible”, and Cas has now ruled in their favour.

“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 athlete’s adverse analytical finding,” Cas said.