World Championship long jump silver medalist Jarrion Lawson said he plans to challenge a potential doping ban, blaming contaminated meat for a failed drugs test.
Lawson was notified on August 3 he had tested positive for a metabolite of the banned anabolic steroid trenbolone.
However, the 24-year-old, who scooped a silver medal at last year's World Championships in London, said he believed he had ingested the substance inadvertently through contaminated beef.
"Having now researched trenbolone, we have discovered that it is a USDA approved steroid, legally used in the United States in the production of beef," Lawson said in a statement on NBC Sports website on Friday.
"Lab results have shown that there were extremely trace amounts of the metabolite in my sample. We are confident that we will prove that the metabolite entered my system through contamination.
"I am a 100% clean athlete and a big supporter of a clean sport. I am completely confident that a fair decision will be made in this case and I will be cleared of any wrongdoing."
Lawson has not competed since July and is 16th in the world this year.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)