ATHLETICS
THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) UPHOLDS APPEALS BY WORLD ATHLETICS AND WADA TO IMPOSE 4-YEAR BAN ON SPRINTER ERRIYON KNIGHTON (USA)
Lausanne, 12 September 2025 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially upheld two appeals by World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) against USA track and field athlete Erriyon Knighton following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Erriyon Knighton is sanctioned with a 4-year period of ineligibility, starting from today with credit for the provisional suspension that was served between 12 April and 19 June 2024.
On 28 May 2024, Mr Knighton was charged with an ADRV by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) from an out-of-competition doping control which revealed the presence of epitrenbolone. Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of trenbolone which is a Prohibited Substance in the WADA Prohibited List (S.1.1 / Anabolic Androgenic Steroid).
The Athlete contested the sanction sought by USADA and brought it to an Arbitration Tribunal. On 19 June 2024, the Arbitration Tribunal issued a decision that Erriyon Knighton should have no period of ineligibility as he sustained his burden of proof and bore no fault or negligence in connection with the use and presence of a prohibited substance.
On 8 August 2024, WA and WADA appealed to CAS against USADA and Erriyon Knighton to set aside the decision by the Arbitration Tribunal and to request that a 4-year ban be imposed on the Athlete. Both appeals were considered jointly. WA and WADA considered that the evidence submitted by the Athlete and his explanations of a meat contamination scenario fell short of the required proof of source and were statistically impossible.
A hearing took place on 23 and 24 June 2025 at CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland where Mr Knighton argued that the ADRV was caused by the ingestion of an oxtail dish contaminated with trenbolone. After considering the scientific evidence, 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.
The appeal is upheld, save for the request by WA and WADA that the results obtained by the Athlete from 26 March 2024 until the notification of the present award be disqualified, which is only partially granted; Mr Knighton is disqualified retroactively from 26 March 2024 to 12 April 2024.
This is an unofficial summary for media use. A full CAS award will be published on the CAS website in due course, unless Parties request confidentiality.
