Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman recently opened up on her suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit. The Olympic bronze medalist was provisionally suspended by the AIU for allegedly failing to attend multiple drug tests.
Newman has been representing Canada in multiple pole vault competitions. The Commonwealth champion set a national record in the women’s pole vault at the 2024 Paris Olympics, securing a historic podium finish.
Alysha Newman Opens Up After Provisional Suspension
In a reel shared on the Citius Mag portal’s X page, Newman addressed the allegations, stating,
“Hey, guys. I thought I would come on here and just talk about the suspension. I personally cannot talk about everything at this moment. We are still in the process. So I kind of found out when you guys found out, and it was released [referring to the suspension notice]. ”
The 31-year-old pole vaulter further added in the statement,
“Again, it’s the first time me going through something like this, so I didn’t know… So I’ve been getting so many texts, so many people, and so much love and support. So I feel that. But I feel like I should be able to say parts of it that I want to just clear in the air.”
Newman explained that she had been suspended for Whereabouts Failures, not for any drug violation.
“[I’ve] never taken any enhanced drugs, I’ve never taken steroids, and the point of this suspension is simply a missed failure test of the whereabouts,” she said.
She also hoped to return to track as soon as possible, for she’s not retiring anytime soon.
Newman initially pursued gymnastics as a young child but abandoned it at 13 after injuring her lower vertebra. She considered ice hockey and diving before ultimately opting for women’s pole vault.
READ MORE: Why Was Canadian Olympic Medalist Alysha Newman Suspended by AIU?
Newman won the gold medal at the Pan American U20 Championships in 2013. She qualified for her Olympic debut in 2016 but missed the finals. Newman qualified for the Tokyo Olympics again but failed to register a single legal jump, missing out on the finals.
Newman decided to improve her performance at the local level. She won the Canadian track and field championships gold medal in 2023, before qualifying for the third time for the Paris Olympics.
With a huge jump of 4.85m, Newman set the national record as she clinched the bronze medal, while Nina Kennedy of Australia and Katie Moon of the USA clinched the gold and silver medals, respectively.
