Deajah Stevens is no stranger to the spotlight. Back in 2017, the then 22-year-old track sensation lit up the track with a blistering 22.09 seconds in the 200m, competing for the University of Oregon. That performance made history.
Stevens became the first active female student-athlete from Oregon to qualify for the Olympic Games in track and field, earning a ticket to Rio 2016 where she finished a respectable seventh in the 200m final.
The future looked dazzling for Stevens, but just a few years later, everything changed.
The Ban That Changed Everything
In 2020, the Athletics Integrity Unit hit Stevens with an 18-month suspension after she missed three doping tests within a 12-month span, a violation that automatically triggers a ban in track and field. The incidents happened in Oregon and West Hollywood, with Stevens later explaining a series of personal challenges, including a stalker situation that forced her to change her phone number and difficulty updating her contact details.
The tribunal acknowledged her difficult circumstances, shaving six months off what would typically be a two-year ban. Still, the damage was done. Stevens missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and faced a tough mental and emotional battle away from the sport she loved.
The Road to Redemption
After nearly two years in the shadows, Stevens quietly returned to competition in 2024. Her first outing was a modest one, a 23.43-second finish in the 200m at Griswold Stadium in Portland. No headlines, no fanfare. But for Stevens, just stepping back on the track was a victory.
Then came April 2025, and things changed. At the Mt. SAC Relays, Stevens clocked an impressive 22.73 seconds in the 200m, her fastest time since 2017. It marked her first sub-23-second race in years, a powerful statement that her comeback was no fluke.
Back on the Big Stage
Now, the 30-year-old sprinter is officially back on the Diamond League stage. On May 25th, Stevens will line up for the women’s 100m at the Rabat Diamond League, her first appearance in the prestigious series since 2018. It’s a stacked field, headlined by Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the world’s second-fastest woman over 200m with a searing 21.41 personal best.
The lineup also features a mix of seasoned sprinters and rising stars: Jacious Sears, who made headlines after toppling Sha’Carri Richardson last year; Maia McCoy with an 11.02 season best; New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs at 11.11; Celera Barnes clocking 11.01; Cambrea Sturgis boasting a 10.98; Bree Rizzo of Australia with 11.23; and Belgium’s Rani Rosius.
Stevens, with her current season best of 11.47, will have her work cut out for her. But for an athlete who’s battled setbacks both on and off the track, simply standing at that starting line represents a remarkable triumph.
