After months of controversy around doping speculations for the US sprinter, Erriyon Knighton, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has now announced the verdict. As Knighton returned a positive test for epitrenbolone, the CAS ruled that the athlete now has to serve a four-year ban.

The athlete initially tested positive for the prohibited substance last year, but an independent arbitrator ruled in his favor, allowing him to compete at the 2024 Olympics. However, he is now banned with immediate effect. Earlier this month, the CAS ruled that the four-year ban would follow without any appeal; however, Knighton asserted that his test sample came from contaminated meat. However, after failing to provide any concrete evidence for his claim, the CAS has issued a follow-up order to ensure that the ban is enforced.

Back in June 2024, a sole arbitrator in the United States initially ruled that 21-year-old Knighton had consumed contaminated oxtail from a Florida restaurant, potentially explaining his positive test, and determined he bore ‘No Fault’ for the violation. However, a three-member CAS Panel, led by Jacques Radoux, disagreed.

The Panel found that the athlete had not convincingly established the source of the Trenbolone finding. The report also noted that, according to some experts, it was “highly unlikely” that the evidence provided by the athlete, intended to show that imported meat contained Trenbolone residues at levels sufficient to trigger the test, or that animals were treated in a way that could produce such residues, was adequate. The panel also found that the contamination scenario was not “scientifically impossible.” 

In the end, the Panel concluded that Knighton could not demonstrate a lack of intent, as the source of the substance remained unproven. Consequently, he must face the full ban. So far, he has not commented on the ruling, but following his initial suspension, the athlete had spoken out, calling it an injustice.

What has Erriyon Knighton said about the ban?

As of now, neither Knighton nor his team has responded to the latest ruling. However, before the ban, the US sprinting star was vocal about his innocence, insisting that he “never did nothing wrong.” He also emphasized that he is a dedicated “Clean Athlete,” with a history of medals. His attorney, Howard Jacobs, maintained that the positive trenbolone test stemmed from eating contaminated oxtail at a Florida bakery.

His attorney explained that Knighton was potentially “collateral damage” in a wider dispute between USADA and WADA, pointing to inconsistencies in how cases involving Chinese swimmers have been handled. Well, despite the team’s firm stance on proving Knighton innocent by all means, it appears that the decision is already final, and now, the athlete will have to face the consequences. With the ban coming into effect immediately in October 2025, he will remain inactive until October 2029.