CAS has annulled Jarrion Lawson of his four-year doping ban ©Getty Images

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has annulled Jarrion Lawson of his four-year doping ban after the American long jump athlete appealed the decision given by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) last year.

Lawson, who claimed a long jump silver medal at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, had tested positive for the anabolic steroid epitrenbolone in June 2019.

He blamed contaminated beef for the failed drugs test, but the AIU panel did not accept this explanation and claimed his legal team had been unable to prove he bore no fault or negligence for the anti-doping rule violation.

The 25-year-old was subsequently given a four-year ban.

Lawson appealed the decision at CAS, who cleared him of the doping offence.

"The CAS panel found it more likely than not that the origin of the prohibited substance was contaminated beef consumed in a restaurant the day before the test," a CAS statement said. 

"Following a careful review and examination of the evidence and expert testimony... the panel was unanimously of the view that Lawson had established that he bore no fault or negligence for his positive finding.

"As a consequence of such finding, the period of ineligibility was eliminated."

Jarrion Lawson will now be able to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, having finished fourth at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images
Jarrion Lawson will now be able to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, having finished fourth at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images

Lawson, fourth in the long jump at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will now be able to compete at Tokyo 2020 and the 2021 World Championships in Eugene in the United States.

He reacted with joy to the news. 

"My lawyer just said, 'I’m going to keep it simple: We won'," Lawson said, as reported by NBC Sports. 

"I was in shock mode, I didn’t know how to feel.

"I’ve been training for 19 months.

"I’m excited to show the world what I’ve been doing."