AIU suspends sprinter Dhanalakshmi for three years

The Athletics Integrity Unit has banned Olympian S. Dhanalakshmi, who failed an out-of-competition dope test in Turkey in May, for three years..

The 24-year-old Tamil Nadu athlete is the country’s fastest 100 and 200m runner this year, who had clocked a stunning 22.89s in the 200m in Almaty in June, which got her a spot in the recent World Championships through the world rankings route. She tested positive for metandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid and a non-specified substance prohibited at all times under the WADA 2022 list, at Antalya on May 1 this year.

The period of ineligibility is normally four years for such cases. Since Dhanalakshmi admitted the violation and accepted the sanction, the AIU gave her a one-year reduction which now makes it a three-year ban from July 11, the date of provisional suspension.

There is a provision in the World Athletics anti-doping rules that offers a one-year reduction in the period of ineligibility if the athlete admits the violation and accepts the asserted period of ineligibility no later than 20 days after receiving the notice of charge.

Dhanalakshmi was notified of the adverse analytical finding and the four-year period of ineligibility that came with it on July 11 and on 19 July 2022, she signed and returned the admission of anti-doping rule violation and acceptance of consequences form.

Along with the ban, her results from May 1, 2022 — including her Inter-State Nationals gold in Chennai in June — have been disqualified and titles, awards and medals won during this period will be taken away. The decision, however, is appealable.

Donald Makimairaj gets four-year ban

The AIU also announced that Tamil Nadu triple jumper Donald Makimairaj, who was fourth in last year’s under-20 Worlds in Nairobi, failed a dope test at the Junior Nationals at Sangrur on August 2, 2021 and has been banned for four years. All his results from August 2, 2021, including the fourth place at the under-20 Worlds, have been disqualified.