Australian sprinter Torrie Lewis has been retrospectively awarded a gold medal from the 2024 World U20 Athletics Championships after the original winner was banned for doping. The Athletics Integrity Unit confirmed that Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands tested positive for banned substances GW501516 sulfone and sulfoxide at the event in Lima, Peru.
Lewis, the Australian record holder in the 100m, was upgraded to the gold medal position in the 200m, a race that took place more than 18 months ago. Hodge had won the race in 22.74 seconds, with Lewis finishing second in a personal best of 22.88 seconds.
Fellow Australian Jessica Milat was also upgraded to a bronze medal in the 200m after originally placing fourth with a time of 23.21 seconds. Hodge was also stripped of her silver medal in the 100m at the same championships.
Hodge received a two-year ban, with seven months suspended, and was eligible to return to competition in January 2025. She has since returned, setting national records and winning titles at the SEC and NCAA championships. The AIU determined her ingestion of the prohibited substances was unintentional.
Lewis, now 21, broke her own national 100m record with a time of 11.08 seconds at last year's world championships. She shared the news on Instagram, saying she was happy to be declared the 2024 U20 200m world champion.
