Erriyon Knighton at 20 had already stood on Olympic and world podiums, all of which now stand marred. Unfortunately, in a dramatic turn of events, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the shocking ruling against him, which includes a 4-year-long suspension from the track. This comes after the governing body found the explanation of contaminated oxtail to be insufficient. While many athletes have their views on this ruling, one former NCAA track star thinks that the problem transcends beyond just one athlete and lies deeper within.

Soon after CAS released its 36-page decision, former NCAA track athlete Erin Brown took to X to voice his frustration. “So now that the CAS officially dropped their 36 page ruling on Erriyon Knighton’s case, and it proved all that ox tail s— was a lie,” he wrote. Brown didn’t stop there. He demanded a deeper inquiry into what had actually happened, asking, “why not try to get to the bottom of what actually happened and answer all the unanswered questions…” His post listed a series of pointed inquiries, “Who gave Knighton the drugs? Who put him on with the person administering them? He turned pro as a child prodigy—but who managed his body? Who had access? How did his training partners perform outside of the U.S. cause clearly US athletes are allowed by USADA to use drugs? Who came up with that stupid Ox Tail Lie? Etc.”

Knighton’s fall began with an out-of-competition test in March 2024. The sprinter tested positive for trenbolone’s metabolite, epitrenbolone, an anabolic steroid often associated with livestock production. The Olympian further stated that the substance entered his system through a contaminated oxtail dish served at a restaurant. In June 2024, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accepted that explanation, allowing him to race at the US Olympic Trials and the Paris Games. But that decision didn’t sit well with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and World Athletics (WA). They immediately appealed to CAS, arguing that the theory was “statistically impossible.”

This week, CAS sided with WADA and WA. The panel noted that there was “no evidence to suggest that imported oxtail could have trenbolone at levels that would lead to a positive test.” As a result, Knighton received a four-year suspension starting September 12, 2025, with credit for a provisional ban served earlier between April 12 and June 19, 2024. The ruling formally closes one chapter of a long controversy, but it has opened doors to another, deeper underlying issue.

Brown’s remarks reignited a debate about USADA’s credibility and the transparency of anti-doping processes in American sport. The contrast between USADA’s leniency and CAS’s decisive stance has led to widespread discontent and confusion. However, for Knighton, the decision means years away from competition during what would have been the prime of his career. 

Not just the Erriyon Knighton case, Tygart blasts WADA over alleged inconsistencies 

Travis T. Tygart, the chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), recently reflected on the criticism surrounding the handling of Erriyon Knighton’s case. He stated that the process followed was precisely what the rules had stated. Tygart noted, “When Knighton tested positive for a low level of trenbolone during an out-of-competition test, we provisionally suspended him, tested his B sample, and charged him with a potential anti-doping rule violation.”

According to Tygart, the case was expedited before an independent arbitrator, who reviewed all evidence. He found Knighton without fault due to “the evidence linking the meat he ate at a restaurant to the prohibited substance and given his testing history.”

Tygart also contrasted USADA’s conduct with that of China’s anti-doping authority and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in earlier unresolved cases. He said, “WADA allowed China not to notify the athletes of the positive tests; neither China nor WADA enforced the mandatory provisional suspension rules.” 

He further emphasized that the true concern did not lie in the Knighton proceedings, but in what he described as WADA’s inadequate regulation of contamination-related positives. “The real issue in this case is WADA’s bad rule,” Tygart stated, pointing to trenbolone’s known presence in livestock and calling for long-delayed reform. “We have advocated for the rules around contamination to formally change for years, and WADA has refused to act swiftly.”

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