World long jump silver medallist can return to competition following Court of Arbitration for Sport decision

The four-year ban handed to American long jumper Jarrion Lawson has been lifted following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Lawson was suspended after testing positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited steroid trenbolone, but the 2017 world silver medallist maintained that the likely source of the substance was contaminated meat which he had eaten for lunch the day before the test in June 2018.

On Monday (March 9) the CAS confirmed that Lawson’s ban had been overturned, ruling that he “bears no fault or negligence” for the anti-doping rule violation.

“The CAS Panel found it more likely than not that the origin of the prohibited substance was contaminated beef consumed in a restaurant the day before the test,” reads a CAS media release in part.

“Following a very careful review and examination of the evidence and expert testimony in this procedure, the Panel was unanimously of the view that Jarrion Lawson had established that he bore no fault or negligence for his positive finding under Article 10.4 of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules.

“As a consequence of such finding, the period of ineligibility was eliminated.”

The full CAS media release can be found here.