A rising name in American sprinting has been handed a public warning for violating anti-doping regulations. Thankfully, she has escaped a ban! The athlete found herself in the middle of a anti-doping violation, but this time, it wasn’t about a banned substance. The 19-year-old sprinter self-reported receiving an iron infusion during an out-of-competition test in September. A decision that led to a full investigation. What followed was a discovery that she had undergone multiple infusions exceeding the permitted volume over the past year. With anti-doping rules in play and scrutiny at its peak, she faced potential consequences. Interestingly, in a turn of events, she has escaped a ban. Who is she and how she did escape the ban?

Shawnti Jackson, one of the top young sprinters in the US, recently had an anti-doping violation. The reason? For getting too many IV infusions. During an out-of-competition dr-g test on September 28, 2024, Jackson voluntarily disclosed that she had an iron infusion on August 27. Although Iron infusions themselves are not prohibited, WADA rules strictly limit IV infusions and injections over 100ml during a 12-hour period, unless done as part of hospital treatment, surgery, or a clinical diagnostic procedure.

A USADA investigation found that Jackson had 4 iron infusions over the allowed threshold between September 12, 2023, and September 3, 2024. All were done by a doctor and out of competition. However, because they were over the allowed volume and not in an approved medical setting, as mentioned above, they were considered a violation of anti-doping rules.

Moreover, it is important to note that all the procedures were done outside the competition, which is why Jackson didn’t face any ban. The violation was procedural, not intentional. After the investigation, Jackson applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (which was granted) so she could get similar treatments in the future.

While Jackson faced her anti-doping investigation in 2024, she didn’t compete in many outdoor events that year, making only a handful of appearances in the Indoor. Let’s rewind her performances last season when the 19-year-old made significant leaps in the track and field world.

A look back at Shawnti Jackson’s performances last year

Back in 2022, Jackson competed at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, at just 17 years old. She made a significant impact, walking away with a complete set of medals. In the 100m, she captured the bronze at a time of 11.15 seconds. But Jackson didn’t stop there! She added a silver medal in the 4x100m relay and capped it off with a gold in the 4x400m relay. Hence cementing her position as one of the world’s top young sprinters. In 2024, she was in her freshman year at Wake Forest, North Carolina.

While Shawnti Jackson didn’t frequently compete outdoors in 2024, her commitments during indoor track, not to mention exponentially growing as a young sprinter, would provide outlets for continued development and advancement for the season. She had a very strong indoor season. Jackson qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60m and 200m dashes but did not make the rounds of the prelims in either event. The highlight of her season occurred during the Tyson Invitational. There she won the 60m event with a time of 7.23 seconds. This time was consistent with her preliminary efforts of 7.21 seconds.

Additionally, she played a crucial role in her team’s victory in the 4x400m relay at the same meet. Jackson’s performances at the Razorback Invitational were also noteworthy. She set a new collegiate best of 7.18 seconds in the 60m and finished seventh in the final. In the 200m, she ran a career-best 22.77 seconds. Her victory in the 400m at the Arkansas Invitational, with a time of 52.10, ranked her as one of the top U20 athletes worldwide.

Now, all eyes are set on this young star. And the sporting world can’t wait to watch how she leaves her mark!