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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.

 

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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

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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.”

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Can Happio's talent outshine his controversies, or is his career forever tainted by his past?

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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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Can Happio's talent outshine his controversies, or is his career forever tainted by his past?

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