World long jump silver medallist says his positive test was likely the result of eating contaminated beef

Jarrion Lawson has been handed a four-year ban by the IAAF after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone.

The American world long jump silver medallist was provisionally suspended in August following the positive result from an out-of-competition doping control test in June 2018.

According to the case decision document, published by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Lawson maintains “that the likely source of the epitrenbolone in his system was contaminated meat” which he had eaten for lunch the day before the test.

The @iaaforg Disciplinary Tribunal has banned long-jumper Jarrion Lawson of the USA for four-years.
Find all the details here: https://t.co/cBkQOqSHT4#CleanSport #AIUNews
@sportresolutions pic.twitter.com/qNgbAbRvHw

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 1, 2019

However, the decision document adds in part: “… the Tribunal holds that the Athlete has failed to satisfy his burden of establishing how the Prohibited Substance Epitrenbolone entered his body.”

Lawson’s ban is backdated to the date of his provisional suspension – August 3, 2018.

His results achieved from June 2 to August 3 are also disqualified.

Lawson can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The full case decision document can be found here.

Meanwhile, Russian athletics officials have been accused of overseeing the forgery of documents in an attempt to cover up a breach of anti-doping rules by high jumper Danil Lysenko.

The world indoor champion, who also claimed silver at the outdoor world championships in London in 2017, was provisionally suspended last year following a whereabouts rule violation.

According to an investigation report by The Sunday Times published on Saturday (June 1): “It is claimed that false paperwork was created to give Lysenko a medical excuse for failing to disclose his location.”

The Russian athletics federation has been suspended as an IAAF member since November 2015 and reinstatement had been expected to form a key part of discussions at the next IAAF council meeting in Monaco next weekend.

The Sunday Times reports that Russia is now facing a ban from competing in the 2020 Olympics following this latest investigation.