Christian Coleman, a UT graduate and the world champion of the 100-meter dash, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit Wednesday. They said he missed three drug tests in a 12-month period.
Normally, athletes must tell officials where they will be for an hour each day when they will be available to be tested. If an athlete violates this policy and misses their drug test, it means they either did not file forms telling authorities where they could be found or that they weren't where they said they were.
Coleman said he was out Christmas shopping when officials arrived at his home for a drug test. Since he was not home, he was considered in violation of the drug testing policy. It was the third infraction, with the other two occurring on Jan. 16 and April 26.
Coleman said he was five minutes away when officials arrived at his house, at a nearby mall. He also faced disciplinary actions due to anti-doping violations in 2019 but was cleared in September.
He is considered likely to win the gold medal for the 100-meter dash at the Olympics, even after they were postponed due to the coronavirus.
A provisional suspension means that the athlete is temporarily barred from participating in any competition or activity until a final decision is made.