Kelli White facts for kids

Kelli White (born April 1, 1977, in Oakland, California) is an American former sprinter. She was a very fast runner. She won two gold medals at the World Championships in Paris in 2003. However, she later had to give back her medals. This happened because she used substances that were not allowed in sports. She stopped competing professionally in 2006.

Kelli White's Early Life and School

Kelli White's parents were also sprinters, which means they were fast runners too. Her mother, Debbie Byfield, even competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Kelli went to James Logan High School in Union City, California. She was a member of the school's track team.

When she was 17, in 1994, she had a serious accident. Another student hurt her face with a knife, and she needed 300 stitches. Even after this, Kelli kept competing in track that same season. She never won a state championship. But by the time she finished high school in 1995, she had the best time in the 200-meter race and the second-best time in the 100-meter race in her area. She then received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1999.

Why Kelli White Lost Her Medals

After Kelli White won her medals, she tested positive for substances that are not allowed in sports. She admitted that she had used these substances. She also spoke to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Because of this, all her race results from December 15, 2000, were canceled. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) banned her from competing for two years, starting in May 2004.

Her situation was connected to a big sports investigation involving a company called BALCO. After college, Kelli's coach introduced her to the head of BALCO. Kelli said that this person first gave her what he called "supplements and vitamins." Later, she learned that one of them was a steroid. She did not use it then. She only started using banned substances after she had a difficult year with injuries in 2002.

When faced with proof from the BALCO investigation, Kelli admitted to using certain banned substances. These included THG, EPO, and modafinil.

Helping Others and Retirement

Since her ban, Kelli White has traveled around the world. She gives talks about why athletes should not use banned substances. She was the first athlete to work directly with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). She helped them understand how athletes might use banned substances and how to prevent it.

While she was not allowed to compete, she taught at track clinics at James Logan High School. In May 2006, Kelli White announced that she was retiring from professional running.

See also

• List of doping cases in athletics