Raven Saunders Faces 30-Month Ban for Anti-Doping Violations

Olympic shot put silver medallist Raven Saunders has been handed a 30-month suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for multiple whereabouts failures. This follows a previous 18-month suspension imposed in 2023. Her current ineligibility began on December 26, 2024, after her last competition in August.

Olympic shot put silver medallist Raven Saunders has accepted a 30-month suspension for multiple whereabouts failures, as announced by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Tuesday. Saunders, who secured a silver medal in Tokyo in 2021, was previously penalized with an 18-month suspension for similar violations in 2023.

The USADA emphasized that this being Saunders's second rule breach warranted a harsher penalty. According to their statement, the extent of her fault and the broader circumstances led to the decision of a 30-month ineligibility period, effective from December 26, 2024.

The last time Saunders stepped onto the field was at a Diamond League meet in Lausanne in August of the previous year, shortly after she placed 11th out of 12 competitors in the women's shot put event at the Paris Olympics.

(With inputs from agencies.)