The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) suspended Ethiopian marathon runner Tsehay Gemechu this week for violating anti-doping regulations.
Additionally, she lost all of her earnings and results since March 2020, including her second-place finish in the prestigious Tokyo race in March 2023.
Blood tests collected from Gemechu over a four-year period show irregularities that are compatible with doping.
According to the findings of an independent doping tribunal, Gemechu provided 50 blood samples, with those obtained in March 2020, April, and May 2022 being “indicative of blood manipulation.” The athlete has received a four-year suspension from World Athletics.
Gemechu competed for Ethiopia in the Tokyo Olympics during the time of these blood tests, however he was eliminated for lane infringement. In Copenhagen in 2021, she set a half marathon record of 65:08.
In order to look into Gemechu’s issue further, the AIU temporarily suspended her in November 2023. This prevented her from competing in the Valencia Marathon, which she was expected to win. Worknesh Degefa, a fellow Ethiopian, finished first in 2:15:51.
In December, Gemechu was scheduled to run in the Valencia Marathon. She is prohibited from competing, though, until November 2027.
