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.

The 21-year-old tested positive for trenbolone – a banned substance used for muscle growth – in March 2024.

He avoided a ban following an independent arbitrator’s ruling and was cleared to compete at the 2024 Olympics, but is now banned with immediate effect.

Knighton, who finished fourth in the 200m in Paris last summer, was not selected in the USA team for the World Championships, which take place from 13-21 September in Tokyo, Japan.

He was intially cleared after submitting 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.