Olympian Alysha Newman Turns Up The Heat With Red-Hot Valentine’s Bikini Pic

Alysha Newman is trading the track for turquoise waters. The Olympic pole vaulter turned heads this week after sharing a sun-drenched bikini snap from The Bahamas, proving she’s just as powerful on vacation as she is in competition. Captioning the post, “Found the sunshine I needed back!” along with a sun and palm tree emoji, Alysha Newman looked completely at ease while soaking up the tropical escape.

In the photo, the 31-year-old athlete lounges on the edge of a boat, the ocean stretching endlessly behind her under a sky dotted with soft clouds. Rocking a bold red bikini, Newman leaned back on her arms, arching slightly toward the sun as her wet hair slicked back from a swim.

The vibrant red two-piece perfectly complemented the Valentine’s Day timing of the post, and fans wasted no time flooding the comments with love. “Happy Valentine’s,” one follower wrote, while another added, “Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day, beautiful.”

Newman’s sun-soaked Valentine’s Day post arrives just one week after the Canadian pole vaulter made headlines for a very different reason. The 31-year-old, who has also built a following on OnlyFans, was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for whereabouts failures, an anti-doping rule violation.

In a statement released Wednesday, Athletics Canada acknowledged the suspension, emphasizing that while guidance is provided, athletes are ultimately responsible for accurately and promptly submitting their whereabouts information.

“While Athletics Canada provides on-going guidance and reminders to athletes on the requirements for declaring whereabouts, the athlete is ultimately responsible for providing the information in a timely matter as required,” the statement read. “This is an unfortunate situation and Athletics Canada hopes to see Alysha Newman back as part of our National Team Program when she is eligible.”

The 31-year-old Olympian addressed the suspension head-on in an Instagram video shared Thursday, firmly denying any wrongdoing related to performance-enhancing drugs. “[I’ve] never taken any enhanced drugs, I’ve never taken steroids, and the point of this suspension is simply a missed failure test of the whereabouts,” Newman explained, emphasizing that the issue stems from filing requirements rather than substance use.

She acknowledged falling short of the strict reporting standards this year but maintained confidence in the process. “… I’ve never missed three in a calendar year since I’ve been 16 years old. So, I fell short this year, we’re in the process, we’re going to figure it out, and I will see you guys back on the track,” she said.

Reaffirming her commitment to clean competition, Newman added, “I will continue to be a clean athlete in this sport, and I’m honored to be Canadian to represent Canada at the highest level.”

According to the Toronto Sun, Newman is ineligible to compete until a formal hearing takes place and the Athletics Integrity Unit reaches a final decision on the matter. Until then, her competitive future remains temporarily on pause as the process plays out.

The suspension comes nearly two years after Newman went viral at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when she celebrated her bronze medal with a now infamous twerk that quickly made waves across social media.

Newman has competed for Canada in the women’s pole vault at three Olympic Games and set both her personal best and the current national record of 4.85 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She previously captured gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and earned bronze at the 2019 Pan American Games.

Her most recent competition appearance came last May, when she finished 10th at the Rabat Diamond League.