Astra Partners Statement Regarding Erriyon Knighton

The recent conclusion of the guilty verdict by The Court of Arbitration, (CAS), regarding Erriyon Knighton IS a travesty. To be found to have no fault by an independent arbitrator in the original case against United States Anti-doping Agency, (USADA), back in 2024 and then to have The World Anti-Doping Agency, (WADA) and the Athletes Integrity Unit, (AIU), refile in an appeal is very concerning in this case. This case was based on probability. USADA independently sourced and tested oxtail from the same restaurant where Erriyon ate, and the testing proved that the meat that was purchased there had traces of trenbolone!! This should have been an open and shut case – to pretend that it is a coincidence is a farce.

There is no question that the meat that Erriyon ate was contaminated with the very substance he tested positive for. Erriyon presented more evidence of food contamination than any athlete in history – certainly much more evidence than the Chinese swimmers who WADA chose not to appeal when they were quietly cleared without ever being charged, let alone at an arbitration. With the current fight between WADA and USADA, and in reviewing WADA’s statement about the decision in Erriyon’s CAS case, there is no question that this appeal was motivated by WADA’s animus against USADA and the United States. It is indisputable that American meat can be contaminated with steroids, because steroids are by the beef industry to increase their profits – not for health or safety reasons.

We stand with our client Erriyon Knighton and believe he did not deliberately dope, but he is an athlete who has been found guilty of choosing the wrong restaurant to eat food.

This case is not over.