20 track and field athletes banned from Olympics after not meeting anti-doping testing rules

• The Athletics Integrity Unit runs the anti-doping program for the sport and requires athletes from countries categorized as “high doping risk” because of deficiencies in their testing programs.
• The requirement states that an athlete from a ‘Category A’ country must undergo at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests conducted no less than 3 weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to a major event.

Of note: For nearly three months during the start of the coronavirus pandemic, almost all drug-testing programs were suspended, which may have opened the door for athletes to engage in performance-enhancing drug use.