Jamaican athlete Shanoya Douglas is poised to receive a retroactive upgrade to the silver medal position from the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships following a significant doping adjudication. The original gold medalist, Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), has been sanctioned after testing positive for two banned substances during the event held in Lima, Peru.
The disciplinary proceedings, announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), revealed that Hodge returned Adverse Analytical Findings for metabolites of GW501516, a substance prohibited at all times. The AIU’s report detailed that the University of Georgia freshman was notified of potential anti-doping rule violations in November 2024 and received an immediate provisional suspension.
Hodge cooperated with investigators throughout the process, participating in an interview and providing additional information between November 2024 and January 2025. This cooperation led to a case resolution agreement in which the athlete acknowledged the rule violations while maintaining that she ingested the substance unknowingly. The AIU accepted this explanation on the balance of probabilities, concluding that the violations were not intentional.
As a result of her substantial assistance, Hodge received a reduced suspension period. While the standard ban would have been longer, seven months were suspended, making her eligible to compete again starting January 28, 2026. Her competitive results from August 27, 2024, onward have been nullified.
This development means the original race standings from August 20, 2024, will be reconfigured. Australia’s Torrie Lewis, who initially finished second, is expected to be elevated to gold medal status, while Douglas moves from bronze to silver position. Jessica Milat, another Australian athlete who placed fourth, would consequently receive the bronze medal.
Hodge, who previously won the Austin Sealey Award at the 2022 Carifta Games and represented BVI at both the 2023 World Championships and 2024 Paris Olympics, recently demonstrated her continuing athletic prowess by winning the women’s 200m at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Arkansas.