The 2025 World Track and Field Championships in Tokyo will be without two major stars after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued rulings that sidelined Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji and American sprinter Erriyon Knighton.
Welteji Provisionally Suspended
Diribe Welteji, the 2023 World 1500m silver medalist and fourth-place finisher at the Paris Olympics, was declared ineligible to compete just days before the championships begin. The Ethiopian athlete had been scheduled to race in the 1500m on Saturday, seeded second only to Kenya’s three-time Olympic champion and world record holder Faith Kipyegon.
The controversy stems from an alleged refusal to take an out-of-competition drug test on May 21. Ethiopia’s national anti-doping organization initially cleared Welteji of wrongdoing after an Aug. 12 hearing, but the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) appealed that ruling to CAS earlier this week.
CAS confirmed on Friday that Welteji will remain suspended pending the outcome of the case.
“The request for provisional measures has been upheld and Ms. Welteji is suspended for the duration of the CAS arbitration procedure,” CAS said in a press release.
The statement further noted.
“The parties are exchanging written proceedings and with their agreement, a hearing will be scheduled. Proceedings whilst ongoing are confidential and CAS is unable to provide additional information until the alleged ADRV (anti-doping rule violation) is further examined.”
The ruling means that Welteji, who entered Tokyo with one of the fastest times of the year ahead of Australia’s Jessica Hull and U.S. champion Nikki Hiltz, will miss the championships.
Knighton Handed Four-Year Ban
In a separate high-profile case, 21-year-old American sprinter Erriyon Knighton has been banned for four years following a positive test for the anabolic steroid trenbolone. The ruling, also delivered by CAS, eliminates him from contention not only for this year’s world championships but also for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
CAS explained that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the AIU had appealed a U.S. tribunal decision that initially cleared Knighton on the grounds of meat contamination.
“After considering the scientific evidence, the CAS panel determined that there is no proof that would support the conclusion that oxtail imported into the USA would be likely to contain trenbolone residues at the level required to have caused the (positive test),” the court said.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency had accepted the “no-fault” defense presented by Knighton, who claimed he was inadvertently contaminated by eating oxtail from a Florida bakery. However, WADA and AIU argued the explanation was statistically implausible.
“World Athletics and WADA considered that the evidence submitted by the athlete and his explanations of a meat contamination scenario fell short of the required proof of source and were statistically impossible,” CAS said.
Knighton, the sixth-fastest man in history over 200m with a personal best of 19.49 seconds, had previously won silver and bronze medals in the event at the last two world championships. He finished fourth in the 200m at both the Tokyo Olympics and Paris Olympics.
The ban, which officially began Friday, will run until early July 2029, factoring in his prior provisional suspension.
Major Blow to Championships
The absence of Welteji and Knighton represents a significant loss for the Tokyo championships. Welteji was expected to challenge Kipyegon for the 1500m crown, while Knighton had been a rising star in the 200m, often mentioned in the same breath as U.S. greats Noah Lyles and Michael Johnson.
With the championships set to open Saturday, fans and athletes alike are adjusting to a competition that will now be missing two of the sport’s brightest young talents.
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