A member of Team Canada at the 2024 IFAF U20 World Junior Championships has been handed a three-year ban from the sport after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports announced on Thursday.
Defensive back Christopher MacLeod was found to have traces of SARM RAD140 — a prohibited anabolic agent also known as Vosilasarm or Testolone — in his system during a pre-competition drug test on June 17, 2024. The 19-year-old was notified of his violation on September 3 and opted to sign an early admission and acceptance of sanctions form, reducing his punishment from four to three years.
The native of Kelowna, B.C. participated in the international tournament in Edmonton, Alta. as a member of Team Canada 2, a secondary national team that was included in the event after several eligible nations dropped out. They finished in fifth place after losing to Austria in their opening game.
Team Canada 1 captured the gold medal with a victory over Japan, marking their third consecutive World Junior Championship.
MacLeod is listed as a member of the Okanagan Sun, a Canadian Junior Football League team, though it does not appear that he has played a game in two seasons with the club. He played high school football for Mount Boucherie Secondary School in West Kelowna.
During the sanction period, the six-foot-one, 180-pound defender is ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program or the World Anti-Doping Code, including training with teammates. He will be eligible to return to competition on July 24, 2027.
