Alysha Newman is no stranger to making bold statements. She always overcomes her adversities with incredible determination. The Olympic medalist proved that when she created an OnlyFans account before the 2021 Olympics to help fund her dreams. It worked, and Newman went to Tokyo. And now, facing a doping ban, she hasn’t lost that instinct, sending a rather bold message to the AIU in the process.
In a post on Instagram, Newman sent out a message to her fans and the AIU in light of her doping ban. The post included an image of her celebrating her Olympic bronze medal at the 2024 Games.
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“You can bind up my leg, but not even Zeus has the power to break my freedom of choice — Epictetus,” Newman wrote on her Instagram.
This comes on the back of the 31-year-old being handed a 20-month ban for whereabouts failures. According to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Newman was unavailable for three unannounced dr*g tests in 12 months. This constitutes a violation of anti-doping rules, and the Athletics Integrity Unit can prosecute it accordingly.
The violation usually carries a two-year ban, but the AIU agreed to a shorter ban than the standard. That’s because, according to their statement, Newman cited a difficult period in her personal life as her reason for missing the tests. Not only that, the statement revealed that the 31-year-old has retired from pole vaulting, which is another reason they shortened the ban.
That is consistent with her schedule, as Newman only participated in five events in 2025. That marks a significant reduction as compared to the 23 events she competed in during 2024.
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“The AIU has banned Alysha Newman (Canada) for 20 months from 3 December 2025 for Whereabouts Failures. DQ results from 23 August 2025,” reads the statement on X.
The first “whereabouts” failure saw a Doping Control Officer arrive at Newman’s house. However, no test was conducted after the door was never opened. The Olympic bronze medalist later responded to the notice, citing a missing car key as her reason for being unavailable. A similar situation occurred for the second failure, as a DCO arrived at her house, but no test was conducted.
Alysha Newman never gave them any reason, nor did she review the decision. Furthermore, the statement reveals that Newman was present for the third test, but it couldn’t be taken as she had to leave to “participate in the filming of a television game show.” After the third violation, Newman received a provisional suspension in February 2026, followed by a ban.
“The Athlete has accepted the above Consequences for her Anti-Doping Rule Violation and has expressly waived her right to have those Consequences determined by the Disciplinary Tribunal at a hearing,” the statement added.
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Now having retired, Alysha Newman does so as one of Canada’s most successful pole vaulters. But she can take some comfort in knowing that she isn’t the only athlete to have their ban reduced.
Alysha Newman is not the first athlete to have her ban reduced
The 31-year-old has faced plenty of challenges in her athletic career: from concussions to a lack of funding. Yet despite that, Alysha Newman has thrived, winning a myriad of medals. That includes a gold and bronze at the Commonwealth Games, a gold at the 2019 Diamond League Paris meet, multiple NCAA golds, and more. She is also Canada’s only female Olympic pole vault medalist and holds the national record with 4.85m.
However, her ban does cast a shadow over her career achievements, though Newman isn’t the only one to have missed it for personal reasons.
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While not entirely similar, Christian Coleman also saw his ban for whereabouts failure reduced. Officials reduced Coleman’s two-year ban to eighteen months. That was on appeal as CAS reduced his ban after finding that his “degree of negligence” was lower than initially established. Jenson Brooksby also faced a similar situation when his two-year whereabouts-failure ban was reduced.
The tennis star saw his ban end ten months earlier than originally scheduled after the International Tennis Integrity Agency reached an agreement with him. The then-23-year-old was banned until January 2025 but returned to court in February 2024.
“It gives me tremendous joy and relief that I can get back to doing what I love,” Brooksby said as per ESPN. “The last 13 months have been exhausting, and a nightmare I don’t wish on anyone.”
For Newman, the reduced ban may close one chapter quietly. But her response makes it clear she has no intention of fading without a voice. In the end, her message feels less like a defense and more like a final statement on her own terms, even as her career steps away from the track.
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