The agent for Jarrion Lawson says the American long jumper and sprinter is expected to receive a four-year suspension for a failed doping test they maintain is tied to contaminated meat.
Paul Doyle told The Associated Press on Friday that Lawson will appeal the soon-to-be-announced decision from the Athletics Integrity Unit, which handles doping issues in track and field. Lawson has been suspended since August.
Doyle says Lawson ate tainted beef at a Japanese restaurant in Arkansas before a test on June 2, 2018.
The results came back positive about two weeks later for a metabolite of the banned anabolic steroid trenbolone.
The substance helps build muscle mass and formed part of a steroid mixture used by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Doyle says Lawson was notified Aug. 3.
Lawson, 25, last competed July 22 before it was revealed Aug. 31 that he was provisionally suspended. He was fourth in the Rio Olympic long jump, where he appeared to cost himself a medal by dragging his left hand in the sand behind his landing on his final jump.
He came back to earn silver at the 2017 World Championships, just two inches shy of the title.
Lawson also swept the 100m, 200m and long jump at the 2016 NCAA Championships, joining Jesse Owens as the only men to do so.
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