Lausanne, Switzerland, Oct 31 (AP) – The sprinter who blamed his positive test for a performance-enhancing drug on contaminated “recovery gummies” has lost his appeal against a four-year ban.
Issam Asinga, the Under-20 world record holder for the 100 meters as of 2023, has seen his appeal dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which revealed its decision on Thursday.
The 20-year-old athlete from Suriname tested positive for GW1516 in July 2023. GW1516, a substance developed to enhance endurance and burn fat, was rejected by medical trials due to its potential to cause cancer in rodent studies.
Asinga claimed the metabolites were a result of ingesting contaminated Gatorade gummies, part of a gift bag from Los Angeles, awarded for being named Gatorade Athlete of the Year in track and field.
In May 2024, the Athletics Integrity Unit enforced a four-year ban and stripped Asinga of his 9.89-second record at the South American championships in 2023.
Asinga submitted an appeal to CAS, asserting his non-use of banned substances and unwillingness to imperil his career and future knowingly. However, CAS declared on Thursday that its panel found the athlete had not proven, on a balance of probabilities, that the gummies consumed before his doping test were contaminated with GW1516.
“Therefore, a reduced sanction for No Fault or Negligence was not applicable,” the court's statement said. “The panel also concluded that the athlete failed to show that his anti-doping rule violation was unintentional.” (AP)
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