WADA considers appeal over Knighton decision

The World Anti-Doping Agency questioned an arbitrator’s decision to clear American sprinter Erriyon Knighton of a doping offence on Thursday, saying it is was considering an appeal while accusing U.S. anti-doping chief Travis Tygart of hypocrisy.

Knighton, the 200 metres world championship silver medallist, tested positive for the banned metabolite trenbolone in March during an out-of-competition drug test.

An independent arbitrator ruled on Wednesday that the positive test was more likely than not caused by consuming meat contaminated with trenbolone, a known livestock growth promoter used legally in beef cattle produced in and exported to the United States.

The decision cleared the 20-year-old to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials starting on Friday in Eugene, Oregon.

READ | Knighton avoids ban ahead of US trials

WADA told Reuters in a statement that it is sceptical of the findings and is awaiting the reasoned decision as it considers an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Once WADA has the full reasoned decision, it will study that, along with the case file, with its usual scepticism and diligence,” it said.

“It will be important, for example, to ascertain how this positive test for trenbolone was caused by meat contamination, which would be extremely rare for that substance.”

In announcing the Knighton ruling, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief Tygart declared that “justice was served”.

WADA questioned how such a claim can be made without having read the reasoned decision.

“It is difficult to understand how Travis Tygart can declare with such certainty that ‘justice was served,” said WADA. “In this case, given USADA had argued that the analytical result was incompatible with meat contamination and had originally sought a sanction of four years against the athlete.”

ESCALATING TENSIONS

The case is the latest in escalating tensions between the U.S. and global anti-doping authorities ignited by the scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers, who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Games but were allowed to compete.

The swimmers avoided sanctions after an investigation by Chinese authorities ruled the positive tests were the result of being inadvertently exposed to the drug through contamination.

A New York Times report last week said three of those 23 had also tested positive for another banned substance, clenbuterol, through ingesting tainted meat in 2016 and 2017, and that two went on to win Olympic gold in Tokyo.

WADA accused Tygart of a double standard for demanding sanctions on Chinese athletes while clearing an American athlete under similar contamination scenarios.

“If this had been an athlete in China, we dare to think that Mr Tygart would be singing a different tune, and very loudly,” WADA said.

The Chinese swimmers and Knighton cases are similar in that the positive tests have been said to be the result of contamination.

Tygart maintains that the Knighton case was fully transparent and followed anti-doping rules while many questions hang over the Chinese investigation accusing WADA of a coverup.

“Unlike the China TMZ 23, in this case, as the rules required, we provisionally suspend the athlete, presented the issues before an independent arbitrator, and publicly announced the outcome,” Tygart said in an email to Reuters.

“It is sad to see but WADA has truly lost it and is crumbling before the world’s eyes,” added the USADA chief.