Olympic Finalist Zerfe Wondemagegn Faces 5-Year Ban for Doping Violation.

Posted 5 months ago

An Ethiopian runner who competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final at the Tokyo Olympics and narrowly missed out on a world championship podium finish last year has received a five-year ban for testing positive for two banned substances.

Zerfe Wondemagegn confessed to violating anti-doping regulations when her samples showed traces of testosterone and another substance called EPO.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced this in a ruling published on Monday.

Wondemagegn placed eighth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and fourth at the 2023 world championships in Budapest. The samples in her case were collected while she was in Hungary for the event, leading to her disqualification from the competition.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) received an email from a doctor stating that Wondemagegn had been prescribed EPO for severe anemia and a kidney infection.

Despite this, the AIU concluded that she had violated anti-doping rules. Additionally, the AIU confirmed receiving a signed admission from Wondemagegn last week.

This case adds to a string of doping incidents in distance running.