What Happened to Olympic Track Star Erriyon Knighton? Inside the Details of His Major Career Setback
Erriyon Knighton was just 18 when he earned the bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships — making him the youngest in history to receive the title.
Published Sept. 12 2025, 12:44 p.m. ET
There have been many athletes who have been at the peak of their careers and seen it all come crashing down due to allegations of doping to enhance their performance, and Olympic track star Erriyon Knighton has now found himself added to that list. Find out the major career setback that was just handed down to him.
Specializing in both the 100 and 200 meters, Erriyon Knighton was just 18 when he earned the bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships — making him the youngest in history to receive the title. He would go on to best himself the following year, winning a silver medal at the 2023 World Championship finals and also competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What happened to Erriyon Knighton?
On Friday, Sept. 12, it was announced that Erriyon has been officially banned for anabolic steroid use for four years — effectively ending his hopes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to ESPN.
Per the outlet, the Court of Arbitration (CAS) for Sport said its decision upheld the separate appeals by the World Anti-Doping Agency and track and field investigators, all of whom suggested the maximum penalty of a four-year ban from the sport.
The Court confirmed that the ban is to start immediately and expires in July 2028, mere days before the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympics.
The 21-year-old’s troubles initially began last year, when he was initially cleared to compete at the Paris Olympics after he was judged as “not at fault” for a positive test for trenbolone, which is a steroid used in livestock farming, per ESPN.
At the time, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency prosecuted his original case and accepted the ruling, in which Erriyon stated that his positive testing was due to being contaminated by oxtail he consumed from a local bakery in Florida.
“After considering the scientific evidence, the CAS panel determined that there is no proof that would support the conclusion that oxtail imported into the USA would be likely to contain trenbolone residues at the level required to have caused the (positive test),” the Court said in a statement at the time, per the Associated Press.
As of now, Erriyon has not publicly commented on his suspension.
The track star previously shared his dreams of taking his career to the next level when he was still in high school.
“I know I can maximize to the next level,” Erriyon said in a 2021 interview with Track & Field News. “I’ve got to see what I can do. I want to win against the top athletes, but I know they’re not going to take it easy on me, so I’m going to have to train real hard.”
He also shared with the outlet that he had options to play football instead of committing track. “Knowing that I grew up around football my whole life, and receiving a lot of D1 offers, it was a tough decision, but it was also a no-brainer,” Erriyon said. “In track, the success of my career is fully in my hands, and I know that I can do it.”