Sprint star Coleman facing ban for missing another doping test

World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman, who narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests, was provisionally suspended on Wednesday and could miss next year’s Tokyo Olympics after again breaching whereabouts rules.

The American sprinter revealed the news on Twitter, but claimed that anti-doping officials had not followed the correct procedure when he missed them after going Christmas shopping on Dec. 9, 2019, at a time when he said he would be at home.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) later confirmed the ban, and issued a lengthy rebuttal of Coleman’s objections.

Three failures to properly file whereabouts information or being absent during the hour stated in a 12-month period can result in a one- or two-year suspension.

Coleman, also a silver medallist in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the 2017 worlds, escaped suspension last year when the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA), after receiving guidance from the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) on how to calculate the 12-month window for three missed tests, withdrew the charge.

The sprinter later demanded an apology from USADA, but two of those misses have combined with the latest absence and this time the AIU expects a ban to follow.

“I have never and never will use performance-enhancing supplements or drugs,” Coleman said. “I am willing to take a drug test every single day for the rest of my career for all I care to prove my innocence.”