Australian Lewis Awarded U20 200m Gold After Doping DQ

Australian sprinter Torrie Lewis has been awarded the gold medal in the women's 200-meter event at the 2024 World Under-20 Championships, 18 months after finishing second in the race held in Lima, Peru. The reallocation follows the disqualification of original winner Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands, who received a two-year doping ban for testing positive for prohibited substances.

Lewis, now 21, crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 22.88 seconds, just 0.14 seconds behind Hodge's winning mark. Her compatriot Jess Milat, who placed fourth in the original results, has been upgraded to the bronze medal. The Athletics Integrity Unit announced Hodge's suspension on Tuesday, Australian Eastern Daylight Time, stating that the 19-year-old ingested GW501516 sulfone and GW501516 sulfoxide unintentionally. The ban, effective from August 30, 2024, includes a seven-month reduction for her cooperation with investigators, making her eligible to compete again as of January 28 this year. All of Hodge's results from August 28 to November 22, 2024, including her 200-meter gold and 100-meter silver from the championships, have been annulled.