Doping in spotlight on eve of World Athletics Championships with two runners banned

US sprint star Erriyon Knighton was banned for four years and Ethiopian Diribe Welteji was declared ineligible to run in Tokyo.

A general view of the Japan National Stadium, ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Doping in track and field has been thrust back into the spotlight on the eve of the World Athletics Championships after the US sprint star Erriyon Knighton was banned for four years and the Ethiopian Diribe Welteji was declared ineligible to run in Tokyo because of a case still being adjudicated. Both athletes had previously won world championship medals.

The 21-year-old Knighton, who won a world championship bronze over 200m in 2022 and silver in 2023, had blamed his failed drugs test last year on contaminated oxtail imported from abroad. However on Friday the court of arbitration for sport rejected Knighton’s defence.