Aleia Hobbs handed six-month anti-doping ban over IV infusion

Aleia Hobbs has received a six-month suspension for an anti-doping rule violation involving an intravenous infusion. The ban is backdated to 19 May 2026.

The American sprinter admitted receiving the infusion during an out-of-competition test on 5 February 2026. She was given saline at home to treat flu-like symptoms, but the volume exceeded the 100 millilitres allowed within a 12-hour period.

The infusion did not contain a prohibited substance. However, the procedure itself breached anti-doping rules because it was not carried out in a hospital or during surgery, and Hobbs did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption for it.

Her competitive results from 29 January 2026 onwards have been cancelled. She must also surrender any medals, points and prizes earned during that period. The decision is unlikely to alter her major championship record because she has not competed since summer 2025.

Hobbs, 30, won silver as part of the United States 4x100 metres relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. She is also the 2022 world champion, leaving those major titles unaffected by the retrospective disqualification.

Her achievements began at Louisiana State University, where she competed from 2015 to 2018. In her final collegiate season, she won the NCAA indoor 60m title, the SEC and NCAA outdoor 100m championships, and anchored LSU to the 4x100m relay national title.

After turning professional, Hobbs helped the United States win the 4x100m relay at the 2019 World Relays. In February 2023, she ran 6.94 seconds for a North American indoor 60m record, becoming the second-fastest woman ever recorded in that event.