Criticized for Lack of Discipline, Track and Field Star Makes Raw Confession After 30-Month Suspension Comeback

In 2021, he finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, in both events he took part in. But before this athlete could think of rebuilding, he was struck with a track and field star’s worst nightmare in 2022. The Athletics Integrity Unit declared, he was banned for “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection” in Jamaica. And just like that, before he could know it, the athlete was in for a 30-month ban. But guess what, the dark clouds have faded. He’s back and he has picked up from where he left off– winning. Before this, he had something to say!

Yes, May 24, Christopher Taylor returned from a 30-month competitive track and field suspension. And he started out with a win. The 26-year-old clocked 45.66 seconds at the JAAA World Athletics Championships Preparation Meet at the National Stadium. There was a time when Taylor had considered quitting the sport. But he’s clearly past that phase now. Here’s what he had to confess that helped him change his mind.

After his win on Saturday, Christoper Taylor spoke to Sports Max journalist, saying, “I have a huge fan base in Jamaica, you know. After everything went down, a lot of them could have turned against me, but they did not. They kept on sending motivational messages, asking me to come back to the sport, telling me that I have a place in the sport.” Taylor was also thankful that “I know this is my first race, and they still came out and supported me.”

Well, Taylor running 45.66 seconds isn’t really a shocker. Because he had been running such amazing times since he was young. Yes, at 15, when he attended Calabar High School, he captured the 400m gold at the World Youth Championship in a youth record time of 45.27s. Would you believe, with that, he wiped off Usain Bolt’s track and field record, bettering the timing by 8 tenths of the time 45 set by Bolt.

But his entire career wasn’t a bed of roses. Although he wasn’t the only athlete who went through such an ordeal, Taylor was criticized for lacking discipline by the fans during the phase surrounding his ban controversy.