Doping or drug usage is one of the most frowned upon activities in the sports world, including the track and field. Even with the presence of several international and anti-doping bodies, multiple athletes still opt to play unfairly and nab undeserved wins. Because of their dishonest steps, multiple fair chances from talented athletes are snatched. There have been several cases like this in the track and field community where athletes have been delayed or banned because of the consumption of illegal drugs.

These athletes had to go through the toughest time of their lives that jeopardized their careers because of these unfair choices. There is a long process that is followed for cases like these. For all the athletes in the sports community, it is necessary to follow the norms set by the anti-doping authorities. The fresh ban on Jamaican sprinter Christopher Taylor has once again brought the doping menace to the forefront. He is the latest addition to a list of athletes who invited a ban this year for making a wrong choice.

Doping takes a toll on career dreams 

Christopher Taylor was banned for 2 1/2 years as a consequence of avoiding a doping test. The AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) expressed that Taylor faced a ban for “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection” in Kingston, Jamaica. His ban started in November 2022 and will expire in May 2025. Taylor helped Jamaica take silver in the 4×400 at the 2022 Worlds in Eugene, Oregon. Four months after the silver-winning performance, AIU revealed that he was not present where he said he would be in Jamaica for the doping control sample. This started the entire case of the athlete.

The second athlete who faced such allegations and got delayed was the teen sprinter, Issam Asinga. He is one of the known names in the track world. He was suspended by the AIU in August 2023 after testing positive for a doping test. He was issued by the AIU through a notice of allegation as he tested positive for GW1516, which is a banned drug with an infamous reputation. This is a very toxic threat to any athlete’s health and because of this choice, the reputation he made by beating the champion Noah Lyles’ high school record in the 200m race, all went in vain.

The other athletes who faced the consequences of unfair choices 

With Christopher Taylor and Issam Asinga, another name that was involved in a case like this is a four-time NCAA champion sprinter Divine Oduduru. The AIU claimed that a disciplinary panel found him in possession and use or attempted consumption of various banned substances before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Initially, the Nigerian sprinter was given a ban of 4 years, but due to added situations, the ban was extended to two more years. His ban will continue till 2029.

The fourth name that adds up to this list is Raven Saunders. This athlete is banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for missing three drug tests in the last year. This shot-put expert who won a silver at the Tokyo Olympics faced a ban of 18 months which ended on the 15th of August 2023. She is eligible to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Read more: “Profoundly Disheartened”: Russian Kamila Valieva’s Doping Case Continues to Deprive Team USA of Their Olympic Medal

The fifth name of the track and field athlete who was caught in the doping controversy is a two-time Olympic triple jumper Ana Jose Tima. Her stellar skills and staunch background in the track community faced a backlash after she was banned for 3 years for doping. The AIU has delayed this Dominican Republic native until January 2025.

She was banned for four years initially, however, after confessing the truth, her delay was reduced by a year. She was found guilty of the consumption of GW501516, which failed several medical trials and was used to assist in muscle growth. These talented athletes who have accomplished one or the other commendable achievements in their track career sidelined themselves on their own through their illegal actions. As the Olympics 2024 are nearing, we only hope no more athletes fall into the doping trap that puts their dreams into jeopardy.

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