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World 100m champion Coleman provisionally suspended for missing doping test

2020-06-17 14:23 Xinhuanet

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Reigning world 100m champion Christian Coleman of the United States was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Wednesday for missing doping test.

He will be banned from competitions until an independent Disciplinary Tribunal hears and determines the case under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the World Athletics Integrity Code of Conduct.

AIU issued the charge following a missed doping test by Coleman on December 9, 2019. Should the charge stand, the American sprinter, already with two whereabout violations, will face a ban up to 24 months for missing three doping tests and/or filing failure in a 12-month period.

However, the world 60m record holder said in a lengthy letter posted on social media that the test on December 9 was "a purposeful attempt to get me to miss a test."

He said he was not informed of the test ahead like previous ones he had, and the testers did not try to reach him, as he was doing Christmas shopping in a nearby mall five minutes away.

"I have never and will never use performance enhancing supplements or drugs," he said, urging the system to change.

Coleman faced similar temporary ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in August after missing doping-tests on June 6, 2018, January 16, 2019 and a filing failure on April 26, 2019.

But he successfully appealed the decision to backdate his first missed test to April 1, 2018, the first day of that testing quarter, so that the three tests were not in a 12-month period.

With his case dropped, he was able to compete in the Doha World Championships, where he grabbed two golds in 100m (9.76 seconds) and 4X100m relay. Enditem

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