Team Canada is back in the spotlight, and this time it's not for their sporting prowess. Alysha Newman, an Olympic bronze medalist and a rising star on OnlyFans, finds herself at the center of controversy. The Canadian pole vaulter has been handed a 20-month suspension following a series of missed drug tests. This decision comes after track and field investigators acknowledged that Newman had decided to hang up her pole vaulting spikes for good.
In 2024, Newman shone brightly for Canada by clinching bronze at the Paris Olympics. Her athletic prowess was undeniable, but her career took an unexpected turn after her recent appearances at the Diamond League meetings in Qatar and Morocco in May 2025.
“The pressure on professional athletes is immense, and sometimes personal decisions lead to unforeseen consequences,” commented a fellow athlete.
Alysha Newman isn't the only Canadian athlete under scrutiny. The 2026 Winter Olympics saw a ripple of controversies involving Canadian teams. Allegations of rule violations hit the curling teams, accused of "double-touching" stones. Meanwhile, the skeleton team faced backlash over manipulating a race in Lake Placid to maintain Olympic qualification points.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed that Newman was absent for an unannounced doping control in February last year and missed two more in August. Missing three "whereabouts" checks within a year can lead to charges of anti-doping violations.
In an intriguing twist, during her third missed test, Newman reportedly told a sample collection official that she had to dash off for a TV game show filming. The global anti-doping system's rules require athletes to specify a one-hour window each day for potential testing. Newman's suspension will conclude in August 2027, slightly shorter than the usual two-year ban, as the AIU took into account her decision to stop competing.
Newman's legacy includes not just her Olympic medal but also her impressive performances at two World Championships, a gold and bronze at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the Pan American Games. Despite her athletic achievements, this chapter marks a unique end to her sporting story.