In April 2024 the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reported an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) against the Athlete Erriyon Knighton after his A and B sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Trenbolone.
Following notification a provisional suspension was imposed. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the New Era Arbitration Tribunal.
The Athlete accepted the test results and denied the intentional use of the substance. He asserted that previously he was tested without issues and that he acted with No Fault or Negligence.
With evidence and his expert witnesses the Athlete demonstrated that meat contamination had caused the positive test after his consumption of oxtail from a local restaurant. He also produced the results of a negative hairtest and a polygraph examination.
USADA's investigation established that the oxtail came from a meat supplier in Mexico and originated from a meat processing facility in Nicaragua. A piece of oxtail from the restaurant was shipped by USADA to the UCLA Laboratory for analysis.
Hereafter the UCLA Laboratory reported that the presence of Trenbolone contaminants had been detected in the oxtail. Moreover another analysis in a laboratory of the Athlete's protein powder in question tested negative for Trenbolone contaminants.
USADA contended that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation and failed to demonstrate the source of the prohibited substance. It deemed that the Athlete failed to establish the critical causal link between the oxtail he consumed in March 2024 and the positive test in March 2024 for several reasons.
The Athlete argued that it is imposible to prove the source of the prohibited substance with scientific certainty, nor to prove the source of meat contamination by a mathematical certainty. Under de Code he only had to prove on a balance of probability how the Trenbolone had entered his system.
He demonstrated that he acted with No Significant Fault or Negligence. Moreover he had no reason to believe that the oxtail he was consuming from the restaurant contained Trenbolone.
The Arbitrator assessed and addressed the evidence and the arguments raised by the Parties and determines that:
- The presence of a prohibited substance has been established in the Athlete's samples.
- He committed an anti-doping rule violation.
- He could not reasonably have known that the oxtail meal was contaminated.
- There is sufficient evidence that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional.
- The Athlete ate contaminated meat that caused the positive test.
- Meat contamination caused, on a balance of probabilities, the concentration of Trenbolone in the Athlete's samples.
Therefore the Arbitration Tribunal decides on 18 July 2024 that:
- USADA met its burden of proving the Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation under Articles 2.1 and 2.2 the Code for use and presence of a prohibited substance.
- The Athlete has sustained his burden of proof under Article 10.5 of the Code that he bore No Fault or Negligence in connection with the use and presence of a Prohibited Substance. Therefore, the Athlete shall have no period of Ineligibility.
- The Parties shall bear their own attorneys’ fees and costs associated with this Arbitration. The administrative fees and expenses of the arbitration administrator, and the compensation and expenses of the Sole Arbitrator, shall be borne entirely the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as provided in the relevant arbitration rules.
- This Award is in full settlement of all claims submitted in this arbitration. All claims not expressly granted herein are hereby denied.
