The promising career of American sprinter Erriyon Knighton just hit a massive roadblock. A two-time medalist in the 200 meters at World Championships, Knighton now faces a four-year ban from competition. This severe penalty comes after a doping violation, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivering its judgment this Friday.
CAS announced it had partly accepted appeals from both World Athletics (WA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Their decision overturned a previous ruling. The court stated, “The athlete is banned for four years, starting today.” This means Knighton, known for his speed, will be off the track for a significant period.
Knighton, just 21 years old, won silver at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. He also took bronze at the 2022 event in Eugene. His troubles began with an out-of-competition drug test in March 2024. The test came back positive for epitrenbolone, an anabolic steroid forbidden by WADA. He faced a temporary suspension from April 12 to June 19 of that year. This time off has been factored into his new, longer ban from CAS.
The American sprinter had argued he consumed contaminated beef unintentionally. A US arbitration panel had sided with him last summer. However, WA and WADA challenged that ruling at CAS. They pushed for a four-year ban for the young star, who holds world records for the 200 meters in the Under-18 and Under-20 categories. Knighton even competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing fourth in the 200-meter final. He trailed Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and fellow Americans Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles.
CAS arbitrators held a hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 23 and 24 this year. The panel decided there was “no evidence to support the conclusion that ox tail imported into the United States likely contained epitrenbolone residues.” They stated the level of contamination needed to cause a positive test simply wasn’t there.
As a result, Knighton’s race results between March 26 and April 12, 2024, have been wiped out. The ban means he will miss the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, set to begin Saturday in Japan’s capital. Back in 2022, at just 18, Knighton made history as the youngest individual sprint medalist ever at the World Championships. Now, his career faces an uncertain future.