Seven athletes participating in last month’s world athletics championships in Moscow have been caught doping, including a finalist from Ukraine and a sprinter from Afghanistan.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, they have tested positive for steroids and/or the blood booster EPO, based on IAAF statements.
Roman Avramenko, who placed fifth in the men’s javelin, tested positive for the steroid dehydrochloromethyltestosterone, which under the brand name oral-turinabol was widely used in the state-organised doping program of former East Germany, the report said.
Turkmenistan 200m runner Yelena Ryabova was caught for the same substance while metabolites of the steroid nandrolone were found in the urine sample of Afghan 100m runner Massoud Azizi, the report added.
Kazakhstan walker Ayman Kozhakhmetova was caught using testosterone and EPO, and EPO also found in the samples of race walkers Jeremias Saloj of Guatemala and Ebrahim Rahimian of Iran, the report further said.
Ukraine’s 200m runner Elyzaveta tested positive for the steroid drostanolone, according to the report.
The IAAF said that the athletes have already been either sanctioned or suspended by their domestic federations.
In total, 538 athletes were tested in competition at the August 10-18 championships and 132 before the big event. (ANI)