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If it’s confirmed that he missed three tests in under a year, he could be looking at a suspension of up to two years. It is quite pitiful since this follows his extraordinary run at the Paris Olympics, which saw him nearly reach the finals. Despite not being able to win the gold, he managed to secure the bronze with a time of 48.66 seconds. Everyone thought that this would be the rise of the Frenchman. After all, Happio had already proved himself as an elite and competed at the Tokyo Olympics and also secured a silver in the 2022 European Championship.
French 400m hurdler Wilfried Happio has been suspended for Whereabouts Violations.
The 26 year old was fourth at the World Championships & took European silver in 2022.
Happio was attacked during his 2024 Olympic trials warmup after accusations of domestic assault pic.twitter.com/VMnaE9MkL4
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) January 30, 2025
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Poll of the day
Poll 1 of 5
Do you believe Wilfried Happio's athletic career can recover from his legal and doping controversies?
Yes, talent will prevail
No, his reputation is ruined
Only if he clears his name
Not sure
Do you believe Keturah Orji made the right decision to retire from triple jump despite her passion for the sport?
Yes, her well-being comes first
No, she should have pushed through
It's a personal choice
Not sure
Whats your Perspective on:
Can Happio's talent outshine his controversies, or is his career forever tainted by his past?
Have an interesting take?
Do you think Simone Biles' journey from adversity to becoming the GOAT is the most inspiring story in sports?
Absolutely, she's a true icon
Yes, but there are other inspiring stories too
Not really, it's overhyped
I'm not sure, but her achievements are impressive
With Simone Biles already eyeing the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, do you think she will continue to dominate the sport?
Yes, she's unstoppable
She might face tough competition
It's hard to say, but I hope so
No, her best days are behind her
Was Steve Kerr right to bench Jayson Tatum during the Paris Olympics?
Yes, team strategy comes first
No, Tatum deserved more playtime
Kerr should have balanced it better
Not sure
Want to dive deeper?
Here are the articles that inspired recent polls.
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And let’s not forget his earlier track and field victories, with golds at both the 2017 European U20 Championships and the 2019 European U23 Championships. His talent is undeniable, but unfortunately, his career has been marred by more than just athletic performance. On top of the doping violation, Happio is also facing serious legal issues. A woman filed a domestic vi*lence complaint against him in December, accusing him of incidents that took place between 2018 and 2019.
This follows a legal battle earlier in July when the French Athletics Federation took action after similar accusations came to light. All of this has added a heavy cloud over his career, leaving many wondering where his future in athletics stands. Track and field fans are divided, some sympathize with him, while others are upset, blaming him for tarnishing his reputation.
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Fans are torn between backing and bashing track and field star
One track and field fan commented, “I want to say that he should have been suspended much earlier, and for something completely different.” Another added, “Will the federation continue to protect him in this case too? It should have been released a long time ago… Like another who now runs in Kiprun.”
A third remarked, “At least the anti-doping federation sanctions, unlike the French athletics federation, which doesn’t care about the complaints against him for s*xual assault.” It’s clear that people feel strongly about how the situation has been handled. This whole mess started back in 2020 when Happio was accused of assaulting triple jumper Janet Scott, with whom he had a short relationship.
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The commission didn’t really find enough evidence to say what happened, only that they couldn’t determine whether it was an assault or if Happio was acting in self-defense. But then in 2022, another complaint came up, this time about s*xual assault from 2021, involving an athlete from INSEP. Happio was eventually taken into custody in December as part of the investigation.
Even with all this drama, some fans are still sticking up for him. One fan joked, “He collects pots and pans like a great chef,” and another said, “OH COME ON, I LIKED HAPPIO BRUH.” There are still those who think he’s a solid athlete, with comments like, “He is a good athlete.” It’s tough because it feels like people want to separate the athlete from the person, but those past issues just keep haunting him. At the end of the day, Happio’s track and field talent is still there, but his past keeps following him around.
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Debate
Can Happio's talent outshine his controversies, or is his career forever tainted by his past?
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What’s your perspective on:
Can Happio's talent outshine his controversies, or is his career forever tainted by his past?
Have an interesting take?