American Sprinter Stevens Banned 18 Months For Missed Tests

GENEVA -- AP -- Olympic finalist sprinter Deajah Stevens has been banned for 18 months for missing doping tests and will miss the Tokyo Games. The Athletics Integrity Unit says Stevens was unavailable for giving samples three times in 2019 in Oregon and West Hollywood. Three whereabouts violations within one year can lead to a ban.

The 25-year-old American runner's ban was backdated to start on Feb. 17, 2020. It expires days after the postponed Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.  Stevens cited at her disciplinary hearing issues with her telephone for sample collections officials being unable to contact her for two of the missed visits. Stevens placed 7th in the 200-meter final at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and 5th at the 2017 world championships in London.