Athletics: Coleman wants apology
from USADA over whereabouts charge
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[September 12, 2019]
(Reuters) - Christian Coleman
wants an apology from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) now that
the body has dropped a whereabouts charge against him, the American
sprinter said on Wednesday.
In a lengthy video posted on YouTube ahead of the world
championships in Doha, Coleman said the charge had damaged his
reputation as a clean athlete and he had foregone over $150,000 in
potential earnings to fight it.
"I can afford a lawyer and have the best people defending me but a
lot of people don't make a lot of money and if you're a lower name
you might get run over by USADA," he said.
"I feel you can't put a price on the fact I have to deal with this
situation ... and the smear of my reputation."
The case had been scheduled to go to arbitration but USADA withdrew
the charge after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) on how to calculate the 12-month window for
whereabouts breaches.
Coleman said he had forfeited over $150,000 by missing part of the
European circuit to stay home and fight the charge.
"My plan was to run in these two meets and then go to world
championships but I had to all of a sudden, at the drop of a dime,
switch up my schedule," he said.
Coleman, 23, claimed the silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2017
world titles in London, relegating Usain Bolt to third in the
Jamaican's final solo race.
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![](../images/091219pics/sports47.jpg)
Christian Coleman wins 100m semifinal in 9.96 during the USATF
Championships at Drake Stadium. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File
Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
Coleman explained why he had racked up three whereabouts violations,
each the result of different situations.
"People don't realize how easy it is to miss tests," he said.
"Sometimes you forget to update the app, but it has nothing to do
with doping or trying to dodge tests.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Sep/12/images/ads/current/charrons_bch041713.png)
"A lot of people have a misunderstanding of how the system works.
I'm tested 30-40 times a year. It's a crazy amount of times. I'm a
human being. I forget sometimes."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ian
Ransom)
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