World 100m champion provisionally suspended for breaching anti-doping rules

American Christian Coleman, who became world champion in the 100m in October 2019 in Doha (Qatar), has been provisionally suspended for breaches of his anti-doping localization obligations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (IAU) said on Wednesday).

Coleman (24), who had already nearly missed the Worlds for three shortcomings in less than a year (ultimately reduced to two), risks a suspension of two years and therefore miss the Olympics in Tokyo next year.

The American, also vice world champion in distance queen in 2017 and holder of the world record for the 60 m indoor (6 sec 34), announced himself on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday to have missed a new control in December 2019, leading to its provisional suspension announced a few hours later by the anti-doping organization.

Very high level athletes are subject to scrupulous localization obligations (address, courses, training, competitions), having to inform each day a time slot of one hour and a place in order to be tested unexpectedly.

Three breaches of these obligations (a missed check, the "no show", or imprecise information) in less than a year are punishable by two years of suspension.