Doping with hurdles Olympic champion - Brianna McNeal suspended for five years

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One of the fastest in the world: Brianna McNeal

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Action Photo Sport / Imago / ZUMA Press

Hurdle Olympic champion Brianna McNeal has been banned for five years by the independent integrity commission AIU of the world athletics association World Athletics because of a violation of the anti-doping guidelines.

This was announced by the AIU.

The 29-year-old is accused of manipulating during a doping control.

Further details were not initially known.

McNeal has already lodged an appeal against the ban at the Cas International Sports Court in Lausanne, the start of which is retrospectively dated August 15, 2020.

According to the AIU, the CAS decision should be made before the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 23 to August 8).

Until then, the 29-year-old will be eligible to start and can therefore compete until the end of the US trials for Tokyo on June 27th.

McNeal won Olympic gold in the 100 meter hurdles under her native name Rollins' in Rio in 2016, and in 2013 she became world champion in Moscow.

With her best time of 12.26 seconds she is in fourth place on the "all time" world best list.

McNeal had to take a compulsory break in 2017 because she was previously unavailable for three doping tests.

The board of the US anti-doping agency Usada called the case "difficult" at the time and wrote that she was a "brilliant athlete who is not suspected or accused of ingesting any form of banned substance."

McNeal said at the time that she accepted the verdict, but that she also stood for "clean sport."

jan / sid