A rising name in American sprinting, has been handed a public warning for violating anti-doping regulations but has escaped a ban! She found herself in the middle of an 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. Yet, in a turn of events, she has escaped a ban. Who is she and why she did escape the ban!
Shawnti Jackson, one of the top young sprinters in the US, recently had an anti-doping violation—not for using a banned substance, but for getting too many IV infusions. During an out of competition drug test on September 28, 2024, Jackson voluntarily disclosed that she had an iron infusion on August 27. Iron infusions themselves are not prohibited, but WADA rules strictly limit IV infusions and injections over 100ml in 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, they were considered a violation under anti-doping rules.
Important to note, That all the procedures were done outside the competition that is why Jackson didn’t face any ban. The violation was procedural, not intentional. After the investigation, Jackson applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) so she can 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 where 19 year old took significant steps.
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 with 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, 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, where she won the 60m event with a time of 7.23 seconds. This time was consistent to 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.
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