Janat Chemusto get four years ban for doping violation

Ugandan middle-distance runner Janat Chemusto, aged 25, has been handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following a positive test for the prohibited substance "19-Norandrosterone (a Metabolite of Nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) or Nandrolone precursors)," as stated by the AIU on Wednesday.

The adverse analytical finding arose from a sample collected at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi in May, a competition where Chemusto achieved a personal best of 4:01.79, securing victory in the women's 1,500 meters. The ban, effective from July 13, 2023, will result in the disqualification of Chemusto's competition results from May 13th onward.

In addition to Chemusto's case, the AIU announced an 18-month ban for Egyptian long-distance runner Ahmed Saber Mohamed Bakry, aged 38. Furthermore, Ethiopian athlete Zerfe Wondemagegn, aged 21, and refugee athlete Fouad Idbafdil, aged 35, have been provisionally suspended due to the "presence/use of a prohibited substance." Notably, Idbafdil, originally from Morocco and part of the Athlete Refugee Team, competed at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest earlier this year. The AIU's actions underscore the ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of competitive athletics by enforcing anti-doping regulations.