AIU Breaks Silence on 'Secret' Ban for NCAA Champion After Shock Revelation

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has confirmed that University of Georgia sprint sensation Adaejah Hodge served a secret 17-month doping ban, a revelation that came just two days after she helped lead her team to an NCAA indoor track and field title.

On March 17, the AIU announced that Hodge had tested positive for a banned substance at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

At that meet, she had won a silver medal in the 100m and a gold medal in the 200m. The AIU's announcement was unusual because Hodge had already completed her suspension by the time it was made public.

The timing raised eyebrows, as Hodge had just delivered a stellar performance at the NCAA championships, securing a victory in the 200m and a second-place finish in the 60m. The AIU clarified that the 18-year-old's violation was unintentional and that she did not knowingly ingest the substance.

The news confirmed long-held suspicions within the track community, which had noted Hodge's absence from competition during her freshman year in 2025.

In a statement to LetsRun.com, the AIU explained its decision to delay the announcement, citing an exception to its standard policy of immediate public disclosure.

"The AIU’s policy is to announce provisional suspensions and sanctions as soon as possible," the statement read. "There are, however, some exceptions to this rule... and one of these was the Adaejah Hodge case in which the athlete provided Substantial Assistance to an important ongoing investigation. Announcing her case earlier could have jeopardised the other investigation."

The AIU insisted that the timing of the announcement was tied solely to the conclusion of the related investigation and had no connection to the NCAA championships.

Hodge, who represents the British Virgin Islands, provided two samples on August 28 and August 30, 2024, at the World U20 Championships.

Both tested positive for metabolites of GW1516 (also known as cardarine), a substance that modifies fat metabolism and has been linked to cancer in clinical trials.

At the time of the test, Hodge had just graduated from Montverde Academy, a powerhouse Florida prep school. She is the third athlete from the academy to test positive for GW1516 in 14 months.

The others were Issam Asinga of Suriname, who tested positive in July 2023, and Skyler Franklin, a 400m runner who tested positive at the Jamaican championships in June 2024.

Asinga received a four-year ban, which was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after his explanation of contaminated supplements was rejected. Franklin, who was 16 at the time, received a public reprimand, a decision the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is now appealing to CAS.

Several questions remain unanswered in the Hodge case. Her coach, Gerald Phiri, is still provisionally suspended, having been charged with possession of GW1516 as an athlete and meldonium as a coach.

However, he has not been charged with possessing GW1516 as a coach or administering it to athletes. Given Hodge's cooperation, further charges could be forthcoming if it is determined he supplied banned substances to athletes at Montverde Academy.

Additionally, concerns have been raised about Hodge's activities during her suspension. Laurent Meuwly, coach of Australian sprinter Torrie Lewis, who is set to be upgraded to the 2024 World U20 200m gold medal, questioned why Hodge was seemingly allowed to train with the University of Georgia team while banned.