Randolph Ross, an African American Olympic Gold Medalist and former HBCU track athlete from North Carolina A&T University, has quietly returned to competition after serving a three-year suspension for anti-doping rule violations. His comeback race recently took place at an international meet in France.
Ross competed in the men’s 400 meters at the Meeting International de Marseille, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour. It was his first race since being pulled from the 2022 World Championships lineup due to a last-minute suspension.
Once a standout at North Carolina A&T, Ross won two NCAA titles and helped the U.S. capture gold in the 4×400-meter relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 due to the pandemic. He trained under his father, Duane Ross, a former Olympian who helped elevate A&T’s track program to national recognition.
In 2022, Ross was suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after three missed drug test appointments, which were called “whereabouts failures,” within a year. During the investigation, he also admitted to changing the date on a testing email, leading to a tampering charge, according to HBCU Gameday.
Ross said the missed tests happened during a chaotic time. He was competing at nationals, moving states, and preparing to transfer schools. One failure involved a location update error ahead of a track meet. Another happened while he was defending his NCAA title. The third stemmed from confusion after relocating, which triggered the tampering violation when he tried to clarify it.
Because he cooperated and accepted fault, the AIU reduced his penalty from four years to three. Still, the ban cost him his place on the national team, his college eligibility, and possible sponsorship deals. He also missed the opportunity to try for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During his time away, Ross completed his finance degree and pursued a real estate license. He kept training with his father, one of the few exceptions allowed under his suspension terms.
Now back on the track, Ross’s quiet return marks a new chapter — one that many in the sport will be watching closely.
