National Post (National Edition)
Coleman's ban cut, but he'll miss Tokyo
World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman had his two-year ban for breaching anti-doping whereabouts rules reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday but will still be ineligible for the Tokyo Olympics.
Coleman's ban, which was due to run until May 13, 2022, will now end on Nov. 14, meaning he'll miss the July 23-Aug. 8 Tokyo Games, but can return to competition in time to defend his world indoor and outdoor titles next year.
The sprinter had been handed a two-year suspension by an independent tribunal of track and field's Athletics Integrity Unit in October last year.
He appealed his ban in November.
CAS said its Panel had determined Coleman had committed an anti-doping violation but found his “degree of negligence to be lower than that established in the challenged decision.”
Three failures in a 12-month period to be at a location provided to anti-doping officials is considered a doping violation.
Coleman, who won the 100-metre title at the 2019 Doha world championships in 9.76 seconds and had been the favourite for Olympic gold in Tokyo, said he was disappointed that he would miss the Summer Games.
“While I appreciate that the arbitrators correctly found that I am a clean athlete, I am obviously disappointed that I will miss the Olympic Games this summer,” Coleman said in a statement to Reuters.
He said he would now focus on next year's world championships, which will be staged in the United States for the first time.
“I look forward to representing the United States at both world championships in 2022, especially the first ever world championships
THE ARBITRATORS CORRECTLY FOUND THAT I AM A CLEAN ATHLETE ...
held in the United States next summer, where I plan to defend my world title against a new Olympic champion in the 100 metres.”
The AIU welcomed the CAS ruling and said the decision confirmed that athletes needed to take their whereabouts responsibilities seriously.
“No-notice out-of-competition testing is a fundamental pillar of the World Anti-Doping Code and is only possible with strict enforcement of whereabouts requirements,” said Brett Clothier, head of the AIU.