Why has the USADA banned Raven Saunders? All about the Olympic silver medalist's suspension

The US Anti-Doping Agency announced that Raven Saunders had accepted a two-year and six-month suspension for violation of anti-doping rules. The US Anti-Doping Agency shared that the Olympic silver medalist was suspended for three whereabouts failures over a period of six months.

Saunders had made three Olympic appearances and had won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the shot put. The American athlete finished 11th in the recent Paris Olympics and fifth at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Right after winning the medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Raven Saunders served an 18-month ban for whereabouts failure from 2022 to 2024 and made a professional return at the Paris Olympics.

The American athlete was a part of the US-registered pool of athletes under the USADA, which requires athletes to provide their location to the authorities for random doping tests. It was reported that Raven Saunders' location could not be traced on three occasions - April 19, 2024, May 17, 2024, and December 26, 2024. The suspension for whereabouts failures according to the official rules stands anywhere between one and two years; however, as it was Sauders' second violation of anti-doping rules, the USADA announced a 30-month suspension.

The recent suspension that was announced on September 9, 2025, stated that the suspension began on December 26, 2024, and all the competitive results since then would be deemed ineligible. Furthermore, Saunders will have to forfeit any medals, prizes, and points won after December 26, 2024. This made Saunders ineligible to compete at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

When Raven Saunders opened up about facing an 18-month suspension

Raven Saunders competes in Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 13 - Source: Getty

Raven Saunders spoke about facing an 18-month suspension with a short message on social media. The American athlete expressed their disappointment and took full responsibility for the violations. The Olympic silver medalist shared that they were tested again for the missed tests and did not test positive for any banned substance.

Saunders opened up about being an advocate for clean sports and promised to return stronger.

"As a veteran, I definitely should’ve done better, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I didn’t fail a test for any substance and was tested again after each of my missed tests. I’ve always been an advocate of clean sports. I’ll be back to claim the throne Feb 15th, 2024!" wrote Saunders.

Saunders will be eligible to return to competitive sports after June 26, 2027.

About the author

Adityan is a journalist and Content Manager for US Olympics Sports at Sportskeeda. He is a professional track & field athlete who competes in the 400m and 800m. This decade-long experience has taught him a lot about sports psychology, mindset, and passion, which he incorporates through his work to get the best outcome.

To make sure the content he delivers is genuine, Adityan keeps a tab on the official websites and the official social media channels of athletes and organizations. Before putting any information out in the public domain, he looks at the content from a fan’s perspective to connect with the readers as much as possible.

With a knack for crafting compelling narratives and insightful analysis, Adityan seamlessly blends his expertise in sports with his talent for storytelling, captivating readers and enthusiasts alike.

He has followed Usain Bolt's career very closely, and for him, the Jamaican defending his 100m gold in Rio is the greatest Olympic achievement of all time. Adityan indulges in traveling, trekking, off-roading, and hiking when not occupied with work.

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Edited by Adityan Pillai