With the involvement of USADA, the doping controversy surrounding Erriyon Knigton takes a decisive turn that affects the future of the athletics star

It was quite a rollercoaster ride for Erriyon Knighton in recent months! The American was facing a suspension after USADA accused him of doping. Apparently a metabolite of the anabolic steroid trenbolone was found. This put his participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris at risk as he would serve a suspension during the trials. This would have been a major blow to the US track and field team as Knighton is one of the country’s best athletes in the 200m.

But in June, USADA reversed course and said the metabolite was found through consumption of contaminated meat, not banned substances. He was then given the chance to compete in the Paris Olympics, where he was unable to repeat his Tokyo performance, finishing in fourth place, just missing a podium finish. Little did he know, however, that his problems were just beginning. Not long ago, the Athletic Integrity Unit filed an appeal against him with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

This was a huge blow and could have meant another suspension for Knighton. While USADA believes he is innocent as it also tested the meat to confirm its decision on contamination, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has been far from convinced. It has stated that it must investigate the case to support the appeal and then come to a decision. This fiasco jeopardizes Knighton’s chances of competing in future competitions such as the Diamond League. To defend the athlete and his testing procedure, USADA CEO Travis Tygart has issued a one-page statement detailing the entire testing process. He has also subtly criticized WADA for refusing to “act quickly.”

Statement from USADA CEO Travis Tygart on the Erriyon Knighton fiasco

Travis Tygart began his statement by saying that WADA had the right to review Erriyon Knighton’s case. He then explained USADA’s case against him. After suspending him for detecting the banned substance in his body, they referred the case to arbitration. They listened to the evidence and concluded that Knighton was not at fault because he had no knowledge of the substance in the meat. They also took into account his clean testing history, which worked in his favor.

Tygart then criticized WADA for its handling of the Chinese athletes, who were found to have 23 cases of TMZ. According to him, TMZ is a controlled drug that is not found in food and is therefore taken to enhance performance. He accused WADA of allowing China to sweep these cases under the rug and of not being transparent about it.

He concluded by saying that while he understands the AIU’s point of view, the problem lies in WADA’s bias against China. He believes they changed the rules for Chinese players to enter Paris, an example of which can be found in the 23 cases. Now it seems that this whole USADA-WADA affair could turn out to be quite dirty. One must hope that Erriyon Knighton’s career is not affected by this.

What do you think of the whole fiasco? Let us know in the comments below.