Erriyon Knington, 21, the American Sprinter once hailed as the next Usain Bolt, was handed a four-year doping ban, which will rule him out until July 2029.
In May 2024, Knington tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite related to trebolone, which is an anabolic steroid.
Initially, he was just suspended from 12 April to 19 June 2024, and the case is still running.
He actually got a lifeline from the Arbitral tribunal in the U.S., but the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and WADA appealed against the tribunal’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Initial Decision was Overturned
On 12 September 2025, CAS ruled on the case against the “no-fault or negligence” finding, and was handed a four-year ban, effectively, which will disrupt his ability to compete from the 2028 Olympics, that too in his home country.
The CAS panel found that Kingston’s defense team lacked scientific evidence, as trenbolone contamination cases are sporadic, which Kingston’s team attributed to the bakery’s meat. The following was CAS’s statement:
“The CAS panel determined that there is no proof that would support the conclusion that oxtail imported into the USA would be likely to contain trenbolone residues at the level required to have caused the athlete’s adverse analytical finding.”
He was enjoying his time off in Miami, Florida, surfing and spending time with the Red Bull team, and participating in the Wings for Life World Run.
Even his past results from March 26 to April 12, 2024, were disqualified due to a violation. He also recently competed in the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. The Sprinter placed fifth in the 200m with a time of 19.97 seconds.
By the time his ban is lifted, he will still be just 25 and will have even more to prove, having achieved so much in his teenage years alone.
He turned professional at just 16 and was even named World Athletics Male Rising Star of the Year twice.
In Case You Don’t Know
- At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was the youngest sprinter, at just 17 years old, to reach the Olympic final, where he finished fourth in the 200m.
- He is the fifth-fastest in history, completing it at 19.49 seconds at the 200m sprint.
- The sprinter has also won a bronze medal and a silver medal in the 200m at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships, respectively.
