Usain Bolt Successor Christian Coleman Contesting Possibility Of 2-Year Ban: Report

Sprinter Christian Coleman’s dream of becoming Usain Bolt’s successor at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is in jeopardy with the current world’s fastest man facing a possible ban for missing multiple drug tests. He set the fastest time this year and the last year with 9.81 seconds and 9.79 seconds respectively and is the front runner to take gold in the 100 meters in next year’s showpiece event.

According to Matt Lowton of the Daily Mail, the 23-year-old athlete is in danger of being suspended after he missed three drug tests in the span of 12 months. Athletes in United States Anti-Doping Agency's drug-testing pool are required by the World Anti-Doping Agency to share and update their whereabouts for a one-hour period so they may be available for random drug tests when not competing at an event.

As per USADA laws: “Any cumulation of three missed tests or filing failures in a 12-month period can result in a potential anti-doping rule violation and a period of ineligibility of up to two years for a first violation.”

A two-year ban will be devastating for the American as apart from missing the 2020 Olympics he will also be ruled out for the World Championships in Qatar next month. He signed a seven figure deal with Nike following his emergence as Bolt’s successor.

Lowton reports that Coleman’s legal team are contesting one of the three whereabouts violations in the last 12 months in order to ensure the potential two-year ban coming their way is out of the equation. But with USADA not giving any confirmation about the case regarding Coleman, it is unclear what the outcome will be at the moment.

Lowton also believes that other American sprinters could have an issue with the USADA’s whereabouts system. It is a practice followed across multiple sports as even the top-10 tennis players in the world have to keep the Anti-Doping Agency updated about their whereabouts.