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Doping in track and field has been thrust back into the spotlight on the eve of the World Athletics Championships after the US sprint star Erriyon Knighton was banned for four years and the Ethiopian Diribe Welteji was declared ineligible to run in Tokyo due to an ongoing case. Both athletes had previously won world championship medals.
The 21-year-old Knighton, who won a world championship bronze over 200m in 2022 and silver in 2023, had blamed his failed drugs test last year on contaminated oxtail imported from abroad.
However on Friday the court of arbitration for sport rejected Knighton’s defence. A press release said: “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.”
As a result the star, who finished fourth in the men’s 200m at the Paris Olympics, was banned until 2029.
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On Friday Cas also ruled that the Welteji, who is the third fastest woman in the world over 1500m this year, would be ineligible to compete in Tokyo while she awaited a ruling on a drug-testing case.
Welteji, the 2023 world 1500m silver medalist, was initially cleared by Ethiopia’s national anti-doping agency after refusing to take an out-of-competition drug test without justification on 21 May.
However the Athletics Integrity Unit, which combats doping in international track and field, reviewed the case and appealed against that ruling to Cas this week along with World Athletics.
The AIU also asked the court to rule Welteji ineligible to compete pending the case outcome, which it did on Friday.
“The request for provisional measures has been upheld and Ms Welteji is suspended for the duration of the Cas arbitration procedure,” Cas said.
“The parties are exchanging written proceedings and with their agreement, a hearing will be scheduled. Proceedings whilst ongoing are confidential and Cas is unable to provide additional information until the alleged anti-doping rule violation is further examined.”
Welteji, who was also fourth in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics, was due to compete over the same distance in Tokyo.
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Many had believed she was in the mix for a medal after she ran 3min 51.44sec in Eugene in May – a time behind only the world record holder, Faith Kipyegon, and another Ethiopian, Gudaf Tsegay. The first round is on Saturday.
On a non-doping related issue, the men’s long jump world record holder Mike Powell, who now works as a coach, has been suspended indefinitely over a safeguarding concern, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist Powell, who joined Azusa Pacific University track and field coaching staff in 2022, set the men’s long jump world record of 8.95m at the 1991 world championships in Tokyo, a mark that still stands.
The AIU said the 61-year-old American is barred from all World Athletics-sanctioned activities, including accreditation at World Athletics Series Events, as well as any competitions or events organised or sanctioned by World Athletics, its Area Associations or Member Federations.
Powell is also prohibited from attending hospitality or private access venues linked to World Athletics Series Events, whether invited or not. The AIU said the suspension could be varied on application or appeal.
Reuters has contacted Azusa Pacific University to ask for comment from it and Powell on the suspension.
