At the 2022 World Championships, Marvin Bracy-Williams sprinted his way to a stunning 100m silver, capturing the attention of sponsors and his nation alike. But the triumph came at a steep cost. Shortly after, he was hit with a 45-month suspension for violating anti-doping regulations, one of the harshest penalties for a U.S. sprinter in recent memory, which he accepted and even pledged full cooperation. Amid the fallout, an unexpected twist emerged: the name of Sha’Carri Richardson’s coach has resurfaced, adding a new layer to the fiasco.

Dennis Mitchell – For those who aren’t familiar, all four women on the recent World Athletics Championships gold-winning relay team, Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden, Sha’Carri Richardson, Twanisha Terry, and Kayla White, have been trained under his guidance. And it doesn’t stop there. Sprinter Kenny Bednarek also hones his speed under Mitchell. Connecting the dots – Mitchell was also the coach behind Marvin Bracy-Williams.

The banned athlete was part of the Dennis Mitchell sprint squad back in September 2023. His existence in the camp just casts a blanket of doubt surrounding the Nike-backed coach. Adding to that, Bracy-Williams accepted his punishment with some rebate under the condition that he cooperate fully with the investigation proceedings. This leads to a cliffhanger that more names are yet to be revealed.

Earlier this year, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas, who didn’t take part in the World Championships due to injuries, made a post on her Instagram handle citing, “Doping coaches should be banned for life from coaching in the sport. Whether you were banned while competing as an athlete or caught distributing as a coach [for some, both],”

Fans were initially left guessing, but it quickly became clear that the shot was likely aimed at Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, whose season has been nothing short of phenomenal, claiming gold in the 100m, 200m, and the relay. Whispers in the track & field community suggest that Gabby Thomas might have been taking a subtle swipe at coach Dennis Mitchell. The Nike-backed coach has a series of serious allegations surrounding him, dating back to 1988, when he was one of the fastest men on the planet; however, he was found to have elevated levels of testosterone.

Following this, he received a two-year suspension. That’s not all – his wife and business partner, Damu Cherry-Mitchell, was also banned after testing positive for anabolic steroids back in 2003. With the recent suspension of Marvin Bracy-Williams, Dennis Mitchell could be facing turbulent waters amid these allegations. However, Sha’Carri Richardson has consistently stood by him, defending his character and coaching.

Sha’Carri Richardson and Justin Gatlin stood by Dennis Mitchell’s side

Back in 2021, as Sha’Carri Richardson was poised to reach the pinnacle of her career, controversy swirled around her association with Dennis Mitchell. Rumors ran rampant that her track stardom might be at risk due to Mitchell’s history of controversies. Addressing the speculation, Richardson confidently stated, “Y’all don’t have to worry about any doping situations coming from me. I back him 1,000 percent.”

That’s not all, after Gabby Thomas made those comments subtly targeting Melissa Jefferson-Wodden and her coach, Justin Gatlin came forward to defend them. In a dedicated video on his YouTube handle, the former athlete explained, “Um, you know, everyone has their story, everyone has their journeys. Um, when you look at the fact of it’s the timing aspect for me, like if you said this after you won your gold in 2024, people would receive it differently.”

He further added, “I think it would have been better for her to just to be silent right now, work through it. And if you’re frustrated, if you didn’t go out here and win the world championships, speak your mind then.” Despite all the allegations, Dennis has serious backing from the top athletes, maybe because of the work he has done for others. Regardless, what’s your opinion on this?