Agent: US long jumper expects doping ban; tainted beef cited

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.

The 25-year-old Lawson is considered a strong medal contender for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.