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Demi Payne Given Four-Year Doping SuspensionPublished by
Demi Payne Given Four-Year Suspension For Positive Drugs Test from 2016By Adam Kopet Demi Payne was officially sanctioned Friday by USADA for a positive drug test from the 2016 USATF Indoor Championships. Payne tested positive for the injectable anabolic agent drostanolone and its metabolite 2α-methyl-5α-androstan-3α-ol-17-one from a sample collected March 12, 2016 at the USATF Indoor Championships. The case against Payne was complicated by an anonymous e-mail sent to USADA with the allegation that the drinks at the event were contaminated. USADA investigated the claim, but found no basis in it. Payne set the collegiate indoor pole vault record in 2015, jumping 15-7 (4.75m) for Stephen F. Austin. She then won the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships pole vault that year over then Arkansas senior Sandi Morris. She went on to compete at the 2015 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. In 2016, Payne did not compete for her university indoors. Nonetheless, she had a successful indoor campaign, including clearing 16-0.75 (4.90m) at the NYRR Millrose Games. She went on to finish third at the USATF Indoor Championships, behind champion Morris and runner-up Jenn Suhr. After failing to make the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Payne continued competing, moving outdoors and even traveling to Brazil for a competition. Payne did compete at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Payne has not competed since the Olympic Trials, with little explanation given as to the reason. She made headlines for her success while also caring for her daughter, who was born in 2013. The four-year ban Payne is now serving is backdated to March 31, 2016, the date of her provisional suspension. She has forfeited all results since, including her USATF Indoor Championships performance. USADA lifted Payne's provisional suspension for 11 days beginning July 5, 2016, while the investigation into the contaminated drinks was ongoing. That allowed her to compete at the Olympic Trials.
Payne's suspension will end in 2020. More news |