U.S. Olympic alpine skier Breezy Johnson gets 14-month suspension for three whereabouts failures

U.S. Alpine ski racer Breezy Johnson was recently handed a 14-month suspension after she failed to provide the whereabouts details thrice. She represented the USA squad at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea along with Lindsey Vonn, Alice McKennis, and Laurenne Ross in the women's Downhill, finishing seventh with a time of 1:40.34.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced the decision on Monday, May 13, 2024. The suspension will keep the American skier away from competing till December.

According to the USADA, she failed to provide her whereabouts details on October 29, 2022, June 13, 2023, and October 10, 2023. The Alpine skier, who remained dormant from competing last season due to the whereabouts occurrence, will have to remain distant from the circuit till December 9, 2024.

According to the USADA regulations, athletes can face a suspension for two years for missing three whereabouts failures in a span of 12 months, depending upon the level of the degree of fault. According to USADA, Johnson's degree of fault was comparatively low.

"I would like to clarify that filing failures are not a drug test failure" - Breezy Johnson following her suspension related to whereabouts failure

Breezy Johnson speaks up on her whereabouts failure suspension,

Breezy Johnson clarified the difference between failing a drug test and filing failures after she was handed a 14-month suspension due to whereabouts failures.

She stood as the youngest woman in the top 10 finishers at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Downhill. However, the American skier had to miss the 2022 Winter Olympics due to a torn cartilage in her right knee.

Following her recent suspension, she strongly asserted that although she failed to provide the whereabouts details this time, she underwent the tests more than ten times in the last year and a half.

"I am sorry that the slowness of this process has made it seem like I am obfuscating anything," wrote Johnson." I would like to clarify that filing failures are NOT a drug test failure but, as the name describes, an issue with drug testers being able to find me."

"I have been tested many times over the last year and a half. To my count over ten times between WADA and USADA testers. All of my tests have been clean. I apologize to my fans for letting them down and being unable to race this past season," Johnson added.

Breezy Johnson has secured seven World Cupp podiums so far in her career.