United States hammer thrower Gwen Berry faces being ruled out of next year's Olympic Games after receiving a 16-month doping suspension, the United States Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday.

Berry, an outspoken social justice advocate who has made repeated podium protests in recent years, tested positive for the banned substance canrenone in an out-of-competition test in March.

USADA said the substance, a metabolite of spironolactone classified as a masking agent, entered Berry's system via a topical medication for which she had a prescription.

However Berry failed to seek a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for the medication, leaving her facing a suspension, USADA said.

It is the second time in Berry's career that she has been banned for an anti-doping violation. 

She was suspended for three months in 2016 after using a banned asthma medication.

USADA said her 16-month suspension took effect on April 28, 2023. 

The suspension means she will not be eligible to return to competition until August 28, 2024, ruling her out of next year's Olympics.

Berry, 34, made headlines in 2019 when she raised a fist on the podium after winning the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima. Berry said the gesture was a protest against "injustice" in America.

That protest earned Berry a reprimand from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, with a warning she would face severe consequences if it was repeated.

However US authorities later softened their stance on podium protests in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, which triggered a global outpouring of protests against racial and social injustice.

Berry also protested on the podium at the US Olympic trials in 2021, turning away from the American flag as the national anthem played after a third place finish secured her spot at the Tokyo Games.

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