World 100m champion Coleman suspended
World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Wednesday and could miss next year's Tokyo Olympics after violating anti-doping whereabouts rules.
The American sprinter, in a lengthy statement on Twitter on Tuesday, said he could be hit with a ban from the AIU after missing a test on Dec. 9, 2019.
Three failures to properly file whereabouts information in a 12-month period can result in a one- or two-year suspension.
"The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Christian Coleman of the USA for whereabouts failures, a violation of the @WorldAthletics Anti-Doping Rules," the AIU said in a tweet.
Coleman, who also helped the United States to 4x100m gold at the World Championships in Doha, acknowledged the failure would count as his third in a 12-month span but said he was willing to take responsibility for only one.
"And now this might result in me being suspended from other filing failures that occurred well over a year ago at this point." The two other failures occurred on January 16, 2019 and April 26, 2019.
"Don't tell me I "missed" a test if you sneak up on my door (parked outside the gate and walked through...there's no record of anyone coming to my place) without my knowledge," said Coleman. "Knocked while I was Christmas shopping five minutes away at the mall (I have receipts and bank statements) and didn't even bother to call me or attempt to reach me.
"I was more than ready and available for testing if I had received a phone call," adding he believed it was "a purposeful attempt to get me to miss a test."
Coleman escaped suspension last year when USADA, after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on how to calculate the 12-month window, withdrew the charge.
The sprinter later demanded an apology from USADA. "I have never and never will use performance-enhancing supplements or drugs," said Coleman. "I am willing to take a drug test every single day for the rest of my career for all I care to prove my innocence."
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