On September 26, 2022, the prohibition will go into effect. Now that the ban has ended, she is free to train and compete.
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Tyra Gittens of Trinidad and Tobago consented to a six-month suspension for the accidental use of an illegal substance. Her record no longer contains any competition outcomes from after June 26, 2022. She consequently no longer has her results from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. On September 26, 2022, the prohibition will go into effect. Now that the ban has ended, she is free to train and compete.
The athlete was declared ineligible for a period of six months by World Athletics’ Athletics Integrity United (AIU) on Monday, following the discovery that a sample she gave in June 2022 contained methylphenidate/ritalinic acid, a prohibited substance that is a part of the ADHD medication she takes. The Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for Gittens had, however, expired at the time the sample was obtained. When the first sample was collected at the national Trinidad and Tobago championships on June 26, 2022, the AIU stated that it accepts that the athlete was unaware that her prior TUE had expired.
The AIU continued by saying that they also accept Gittens’ denial of knowledge at the time of her second World Athletics sample and her incomplete TUE application. She wasn’t told until November 2022 that her TUE had run out for this particular purpose or that the TTO Sample tested positive for methylphenidate.” The AIU also admits that the athlete did not intend to cheat and that the medication was taken for legitimate medical reasons. The AIU acknowledges that the violation was unintentional as a result.
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Tyra Gittens addressed the situation on Monday, writing on Instagram, “I tested positive for methylphenidate last summer because my Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for taking ADHD medication was not approved in time for the World Championships. She last week turned professional.”
“Even though I have taken the same medication for years and had the same TUE for the Tokyo Olympics, I didn’t properly complete the application. My team and I decided on a six-month ban with a September 25 start date to put this behind me. Because of this, the suspension has already been served, and I can continue playing for the remainder of the season. That time allowed me to learn a lot more about my identity, priorities, and goals.”
She went on to say that this wasn’t the only problem she had to deal with in the previous year. “My most challenging experiences have been over the past 15 months. The first thing is that my transfer was a last-minute, enormous leap of faith. She said it was difficult to adjust to living in a new city, learning a new event, working with a new coach, following new training schedules, and taking part in the newest programs. It was a very confusing and overwhelming period, and as a result, I lost confidence in myself, which was evident in my performance the previous year.”
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