Pole vaulter Alysha Newman suspended for whereabouts failures

Article content

Canadian pole vaulter and 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Alysha Newman has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for whereabouts failures.

Article content

The suspension was confirmed on Wednesday by Athletics Canada, the country’s governing body for track and field.

Article content

“This is an unfortunate situation and Athletics Canada hopes to see Alysha Newman back as part of our National Team Program when she is eligible,” the organization said in a statement.

“While Athletics Canada provides ongoing guidance and reminders to athletes on the requirements for declaring whereabouts, the athlete is ultimately responsible for providing the information in a timely matter as required.”

What is a whereabouts failure?

A whereabouts failure is an anti-doping rule violation. It occurs when an athlete does not submit accurate location information or is unavailable for scheduled testing, according to Sport Integrity Canada.

Newman was hit with a provisional suspension for allegedly missing three doping tests in a 12-month period.

The provisional suspension means Newman is temporarily banned from competing until a hearing is held and a final decision is made by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

Article content

Olympic medal-winning swimmer Penny Oleksiak was similarly banned from competition last year after three whereabouts failures.

Athletes are required to regularly update their location via a mobile app and provide a one-hour time slot when anti-doping testing can be done.

Newman competed sporadically since the Olympics

Newman, 31, went viral at the 2024 Paris Olympics after twerking in her celebration upon winning the bronze medal in pole vaulting and setting a personal record of 4.85 metres.

The athlete hasn’t competed yet in 2026, and only competed sporadically in 2025, the Daily Mail reported.

Since the Olympics, Newman balances life as an athlete, model and OnlyFans creator.

“Whether I liked it or not, I was sexualized in the sport naturally by what I wear, and my beauty,” she told the Daily Mail in 2022. “If I showed up in full leggings and a sports bra that covered my stomach, people would still sexualize me. I mean, it just never stops.”

“When I decided to launch OnlyFans, it was really important for me to be a part of something I could control.”

Share this article in your social network