World championship silver medalist suspended 30 months for evading doping test

Jamaican 400m runner and 2022 world championship silver medalist Christopher Taylor has been slapped with a 30-month suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after evading an out-of-competition doping test without justification in November 2022.

After a comprehensive six-month investigation, the AIU found that Taylor violated Article 2.3 of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Anti-Doping Code, deeming his actions as “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection.” In November 2022, anti-doping officials attempted to conduct an out-of-competition doping test at the location Taylor had specified on his whereabouts form, but he was not present at the location and had not updated his whereabouts information.

According to the Jamaica Observer, Taylor was at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston when the officials arrived at his home, waiting to catch a flight to the U.S. 

If an athlete is not where they say they are when anti-doping officials show up, it counts as a missed test. Typically, a first or second offense does not carry any penalty, but if an athlete misses three tests during a 12-month period, that constitutes a whereabouts violation, resulting in an automatic period of ineligibility.

Taylor was a finalist in the men’s 400m at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore. He also helped the Jamaican men’s 4x400m relay team win silver at 2022 Worlds. 

Twelve of the 30 months of his suspension have already elapsed; Taylor will become eligible to compete again in May 2025. His last competitive race was in August 2022.

posted Saturday November 18th
by Marley Dickinson