Colorado Springs, Co. - Downhill skier Breezy Johnson has been handed a 14-month ban for three violations of anti-doping rules, preventing her from racing until December. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) made the decision public late Monday, citing Johnson's failure to comply with whereabouts rules that require athletes to provide their location for one hour each day for unannounced drug testing.
According to USADA, Johnson had whereabouts failures on Oct. 29, 2022, June 13, 2023, and Oct. 10, 2023. Despite being a seven-time podium finisher in World Cup races, Johnson voluntarily withdrew from the circuit in December while under investigation.
USADA determined that a 14-month ban was appropriate for Johnson, considering her relatively low degree of fault in the case. The ban will not affect her participation in the upcoming season, as she did not compete in the World Cup last season and is not scheduled to miss any races in her specialty downhill and super-G events before the ban expires on Dec. 9.
Johnson's skiing career reached its peak in the period leading up to December 2021, where she achieved three runner-up finishes and four third-place finishes in World Cup downhill events. Unfortunately, she missed the 2022 Beijing Olympics due to a knee injury sustained just three weeks before the games.
The USADA ruling can be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Johnson's future in competitive skiing remains uncertain as she navigates the consequences of the anti-doping violations.
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