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Friday, September 12, was a busy day for the communications team at the Athletics Integrity Unit, as three pending cases had decisions handed down. They include the case of Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji, American coach Mike Powell and sprinter Erriyon Knighton.
Diribe Welteji
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the decision to suspend Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji. The decision comes one day after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) published it appeal. The 23-year-old Paris Olympian refused to submit a sample for testing.
The appeal came following the decision of a national hearing panel of the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority. It was filed on 27 August 2025, to clear athlete, Diribe Welteji, of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
The AIU obtained the case file from the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 1 September 2025. Following the review, filed its appeal with CAS on 8 September 2025.
She finished fourth in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She took silver during the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships in the metric mile. She also earned a silver medal at the 2025 Nanjing World Indoor Championships.
Welteji has run as fast as 3:51.44. The Ethiopian record is currently held by Genzebe Dibaba from the Herculis meet 10 years ago, where she clocked 3:50.07. The world record is held by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon at 3:48.68. She set the time during the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Welteji holds the world mile (1609m) road record or the world’s best known time at 4:20.98.
Mike Powell
Mike Powell, who holds the world record in the long jump, has been suspended indefinitely over a safeguarding concern, says the AIU.
“The Case Management Group (CMG) of World Athletics has suspended Mike Powell (USA) indefinitely…following a referral by the AIU,” said the AIU over social media.
The 61-year-old American now works as a college coach. He is barred from all activities that are certified by World Athletics. He can coach during any events associated with World Athletics and national governing bodies.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist joined the track and field coaching staff at Azusa Pacific University in California in 2022.
Powell is prohibited from attending hospitality or gaining access to venues linked to World Athletics events.
Powell has an opportunity to appeal the decision.
Powell set the men’s long jump world record of 8.95 metres at the 1991 Tokyo World Athletics Championships. He is a two-time gold medallist at the World Championships. He also won a bronze medal. Powell won his Olympic silver medals at the 1992 Barcelona and 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Erriyon Knighton
Erriyon Knighton, the American sprinter, blames his positive doping test on tainted meat. He was first suspended by the AIU, appealed and has now lost the appeal. The 21-year-old is now suspended for four years.
On May 28, 2024, Knighton was charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) from an out-of-competition doping test, which revealed the presence of epitrenbolone.
Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of trenbolone, which is a prohibited substance in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list as an anabolic androgenic steroid.
The Athlete contested the sanction sought by USADA and brought it to an Arbitration Tribunal. On 19 June 2024, the Arbitration Tribunal issued a decision that Erriyon Knighton should have no period of ineligibility, as he sustained his burden of proof and bore no fault or negligence in connection with the use and presence of a prohibited substance.
Knighton holds the national U20 200 metre record at 19.49 seconds, which is his personal best. In the 100m he has run 9.98 seconds. Knighton finished in fourth place in both the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He picked up a silver medal at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships and a bronze during the 2022 Eugene Championships.
