US Olympic sprinter Erriyon Knighton will not be suspended for testing positive for a banned substance after an arbitrator found the result was likely caused by contaminated meat.
The US Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) finding clears the two-time world championships medallist to compete at the US Olympic trials, which begin this week in Eugene, Oregon.
"We did what the rules require us to do in all positive cases," USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said.
"We can take comfort that justice was served and transparency as required by the rules was achieved."
Tygart said the contaminated meat came from oxtail at a bakery in central Florida.
USADA's investigation backed up the sprinter's contamination claim.
The anti-doping authority obtained and tested the meat, and conducted interviews with the manager of the bakery, Knighton, his girlfriend and his mother.
Although Knighton was cleared to run in the men's 200 metres at the Olympic trials, the decision can be appealed by either the Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees doping in track and field, or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
"As it always does, WADA will review this case and reserves the right to take an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate," WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald said.
One of the brightest young names in US track and field, 20-year-old Knighton tested positive to trenbolone during an out-of-competition doping test in March.
But the independent arbitrator found the sprinter was not at fault and had not acted with negligence.
Cases such as Knighton's are not uncommon, although they have come under closer scrutiny in the wake of a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers whose positive tests for a banned heart medication were deemed to have come because of contamination.
WADA accepted the explanation from Chinese authorities and did not pursue the case, which became public after reporting by The New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD.
That decision has been roundly criticised by USADA and others because the initial positives were not made public.
Should Knighton qualify for the Paris Olympics, he will be among the medal favourites in the men's 200m.
He won silver behind US teammate Noah Lyles at last year's world championships in Budapest and collected bronze at the previous edition in Eugene in 2022.
When Knighton qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a 17-year-old, he became the youngest male since Jim Ryun in 1964 to make the US Olympic track and field team.
He finished fourth in the men's 200m final behind Andre De Grasse, Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.
Reuters/AP