Erriyon Knighton Cleared for Paris Olympics After Drug Test Appeal

Erriyon Knighton, a United States sprinter, has obtained clearance to participate in the upcoming Paris Olympics after successfully appealing a provisional suspension due to a positive drug test earlier this year. In April, officials took provisional action by suspending the 20-year-old athlete. This decision came after he tested positive for a metabolite of trenbolone in March. However, an independent arbitrator ultimately determined that Knighton likely ingested the banned substance through contaminated meat.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) acknowledged the positive test but found no fault or negligence on Knighton’s part, thus clearing him to compete. Travis Tygart, CEO of Usada expressed satisfaction with the decision, affirming that justice had served Knighton well. Trenbolone, a growth promoter used in livestock, is legally utilized in beef cattle farming within the United States and for export. This ruling comes just ahead of the US track and field Olympic trials, set to commence on June 21 in Oregon.

Erriyon Knighton, who grabbed headlines by becoming the youngest male to qualify for the US Olympic team since Jim Ryun in 1964 during the Tokyo Games qualifiers in 2021 is gearing up for the upcoming competition. At only 17 years old, he achieved an impressive fourth-place finish in the 200m final.