The doping case concerning U.S. sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who claimed to have ingested contaminated meat, is in the process of being appealed and will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees anti-doping measures for track and field globally, revealed on Wednesday its decision to challenge the “no-fault” ruling that had been issued by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency before the Olympic trials earlier this year.
Knighton had tested positive for a banned substance known as Trenbolone, which is commonly found in livestock and has been associated with various contamination incidents in the past. The sprinter cited eating oxtail from a bakery in central Florida as the source of the contamination.
Following his clearance by USADA, Knighton secured a spot in the 200 meters at the Olympic trials and later placed fourth in Paris. However, he did not take part in the relay teams. An independent arbitration panel arrived at the no-fault decision after examining test results conducted by USADA on the same batch of meat found at the bakery where Knighton purchased it. The panel determined that the meat could have led to the detection of a trace amount of the drug, which, although minute, was sufficient to trigger a positive test result in Knighton.
The AIU did not provide specifics on the grounds for its appeal in the case. USADA’s CEO, Travis Tygart, released a statement addressing the organization’s approach to the matter. “We understand the AIU’s reasons for appealing this case, as we assume they are the same reasons for which we charged and prosecuted the case,” Tygart stated.
A dispute has arisen between USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency regarding the handling of contamination cases, particularly following the incident involving Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication but were permitted to continue competing. While Chinese authorities attributed the positive tests to contamination, criticism has been directed at WADA for not publicly disclosing the case details until they were disclosed by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.
