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CNN
18-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substance
Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Thursday. Chepngetich smashed the previous marathon record by almost two minutes when she ran a time of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024, becoming the first woman in history to break the 2:10 barrier. According to an AIU statement, the 30-year-old tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension, in a sample collected on March 14, which was then reported to the organization on April 3. Any levels of Hydrochlorothiazide below 20 ng/mL in urine are reported as negative. Chepngetich's sample had an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL, the AIU said. Hydrochlorothiazide is prohibited at all times under the World Anti Doping Agency code and considered a 'Specified Substance,' which carries a standard sanction of two years. CNN Sports has reached out to Chepngetich's representative for comment. In the statement, AIU Head Brett Clothier said the organization notified Chepngetich in person on April 16 and 'complied with requests regarding our investigation.' Clothier added: 'Chepng'etich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU's investigation was ongoing. 'In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and (Thursday) issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.' In accordance with world anti-doping regulations, a provisional suspension from the AIU is not mandatory when there is a positive test for diuretics, which can be used to mask the presence of other banned substances in urine. 'Chepngetich has the right for her case to be heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal and that the AIU will not comment further until this matter has been concluded,' the statement concluded. Chepngetich is a three-time winner of the Chicago Marathon and took gold at the World Athletics Championships in 2019.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
How Jannik Sinner explained doping contamination to escape serious ban
Jannik Sinner has finally brought an end to his doping saga by accepting a three-month ban offered by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The 23-year-old, who is the men's No 1-ranked tennis player and won the Australian Open in January, twice tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid last year. It's a case that no one knew about for months and one that drew all sorts of questions and criticism from other players who wondered whether there was a double standard at play because of Sinner's success, were confused about why it was all kept under wraps, and wanted to know why Sinner was allowed to keep competing before there was a resolution. 'This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,' Sinner said in a statement. 'I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.' What is clostebol, the drug Sinner tested positive for? Clostebol is an anabolic steroid that can be found in ointments and sprays sold over the counter in some countries, such as Italy, and is used to treat cuts or scrapes. It is considered a performance enhancer, and several athletes in various sports have been suspended after testing positive; one high-profile example was baseball star Fernando Tatis Jr, who received an 80-game ban from Major League Baseball in 2022. Sinner submitted a urine sample showing traces of clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament in California in March; an out-of-competition sample eight days later also tested positive. How did Sinner explain away the positive test results? Sinner's lawyers said that his fitness trainer purchased a spray 'easily available over the counter in any Italian pharmacy' which was given to the player's physiotherapist, Giocomo Naldi to help treat a minor cut on the physio's finger. Naldi regularly massaged Sinner during the Indian Wells tournament, without wearing gloves. Sinner's lawyers claimed that because the player had 'various skin lesions' on his body due to a skin condition called psoriasiform dermatitis, the spray – which contained clostebol – must have passed from the physio's hands through to Sinner and caused the 'inadvertent contamination'. Timeline according to independent tribunal report 12 February 2024: Sinner's fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, buys a spray used on cuts, branded Trofodermin, in a pharmacy in Bologna, Italy. 3 March: Physiotherapist Naldi cuts the little finger on his left hand while reaching into his treatment bag, nicking it on the scalpel he uses to treat calluses on players' feet. He bandages the cut for two days. Witnesses provide discrepancies on exactly where and when the cut occurred but agree it was caused by the scalpel in the bag on 3 March. Later that evening, Sinner asks about the bandaged finger during a session with Naldi. Naldi explains the cut and says that he has not treated it with anything. 5 March: Naldi removes his bandage and Ferrara recommends he use the Trofodermin spray for its healing qualities. Naldi does not check the contents, which include the banned substance clostebol. Naldi applies the substance to the small wound on his finger every morning for nine days, in the ensuite bathroom in the villa where they are staying in California. 5-13 March: Naldi gives Sinner a daily full-body massage using oils, and without wearing gloves, lasting an hour to an hour and a half. Naldi also performs foot exercises to assist with an ankle injury. The times of day vary. 10 March: Naldi applies two sprays of Trofodermin to his finger in the morning. He treats Sinner's feet and ankle, where the player's skin condition – psoriasiform dermatitis – has previously caused itching, leading to scratching and small cuts and sores. Naldi cannot remember if he washed his hands between applying spray to his finger and massaging Sinner. That evening, after beating German player Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets, Sinner submits two urine samples (primary and corroborative) at Indian Wells, which both test positive for clostebol. 16 March: Sinner is beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of Indian Wells. 18 March: Another urine sample provided by Sinner, ahead of the Miami Open, tests positive for clostebol. 4 April: Sinner is formally notified of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) and the automatic provisional suspension is triggered. Sinner responds – on the same day – with an urgent application for the suspension to be lifted. His provisional ban is lifted the next day. 17 April: Sinner is notified of the second AAF. He responds with another urgent application for the automatic provisional ban to be lifted, and his application is upheld. 30 May: The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) charges Sinner with anti-doping rule violations. 19 June: Sinner's legal team submits detailed explanations of the AAF. 20 August: ITIA reveals the case and its findings, announcing Sinner has been cleared of wrongdoing. Why was Sinner allowed to continue competing? Sinner was provisionally suspended for the two positive results but he appealed against those bans, saying that he was inadvertently exposed to the steroid. Sinner's appeal was submitted on the same day he was formally notified of the first adverse analytical finding (AAF), complete with a laboratory statement and written submissions from his support team. It is unclear whether he was given advanced warning of the AAF before being formally notified. The ITIA, which handles anti-doping and anti-corruption investigations for the sport, accepted his explanation. The ITIA said it conducted a 'thorough investigation' involving 'multiple in-depth interviews' with Sinner and his support team. The ITIA's investigators conducted 10 interviews in total and sought the expertise of three anti-doping experts. It then passed the case to an independent tribunal to review the details of the case. A hearing was convened at Sport Resolutions on 15 August, which found that Sinner was not negligent and not at fault. The independent tribunal consulted three scientific experts, including Professor David Cowan of King's College London, the former head of the KCL's Wada [World Anti-Doping Agency]-accredited lab. All three experts concluded that Sinner's explanation was plausible. They noted that Sinner tested for only small concentrations of clostebol. On 10 March, he tested for 121pg/mL of the substance, and on 18 March he tested for 122pg/mL. The Trofodermin spray contained 5mg/mL of clostebol acetate. Professor Cowan said: 'Even if the administration had been intentional, the minute amounts likely to have been administered would not have had ... any relevant doping, or performance-enhancing, effect upon the player.' Was he initially punished? Because one of the positive tests came during a tournament, Sinner had to forfeit $325,000 in prize money and 400 ranking points he earned by getting to the semi-finals at Indian Wells. But he was not handed any ban. What happened next? Sinner hoped that would be that, but Wada was not happy with the ITIA's ruling, and appealed against the decision for Sinner to escape sanction to the Court Arbitration for Sport, saying that even though Sinner had inadvertently been contaminated, he must take responsibility for his team's actions. In order to avoid a protracted legal battle, Sinner accepted an offer from Wada of a three-month ban. What did other players think about Sinner's case? Plenty of players hopped on social media to offer their takes on the latest high-profile doping case in tennis, a list that includes suspensions reduced on appeal for grand slam champions Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep. Nick Kyrgios, the Wimbledon runner-up in 2022, called the situation 'ridiculous' and said he thought a ban was warranted. Tennys Sandgren, a two-time quarter-finalist at the Australian Open, said Sinner's explanation for how the steroid got into his system 'does seem pretty plausible' but added: 'How this was handled really doesn't seem fair compared to other players whatsoever.' There also were those who noted that both Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer were suspended for missing tests, as was Britain's Tara Moore. The 19-month suspension effectively destroyed Moore's career. 'I guess only the top players' images matter,' Moore wrote on social media. 'I guess only the independent tribunal's opinion on the top players is taken as sound and right. Yet, they question them in my case. Just makes no sense.' Chris Evert, the 18-time grand slam champion and ESPN analyst, said: 'I do think that they protect top players. By 'protecting' – they're going to keep the secret for a couple of months. They're going to keep certain things secret if you're a top player because they don't want the press, the player doesn't want the press. It's all going to come out in three months, anyway.' No, that should now be the end of the case. Wada has withdrawn its appeal to the Court of Abritration for Sport.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Anyone who believes in clean sport will hope Novak Djokovic sinks Jannik Sinner, writes OLIVER HOLT
Jannik Sinner beat Ben Shelton in straight sets here on No 1 Court on Wednesday and progressed serenely to the Wimbledon men's singles semi-finals. He took the applause, gave an anodyne interview and autographed giant tennis balls for eager kids. Shelton played some thunderous, brilliant tennis but Sinner swatted him aside. It turned out his injured elbow was not a problem. Nor was his awkward acquaintance with anabolic steroids. Nobody mentioned the doping because that would have been impolite. So here is a quick refresher: on February 15, Sinner 'accepted' a three-month ban in a 'settlement' with the World Anti-Doping Agency after the world No 1 twice tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol in 2024. The language used suggested the Italian had made a particularly magnanimous gesture and that we ought to be terribly grateful to him for giving his consent to his ban. Remember that term 'strict liability'? No, I thought not. Falling foul of it used to be a serious thing. How quaint that idea seems now. Many had urged that Sinner, 23, be banned for much longer but instead, tennis listened to a pocketful of mumbles from expensive lawyers that centred on an interesting story about a physio, a masseur, a wash bag, a scalpel, a cut finger and a spray purchased from a Rome chemist. It put one in mind of Tyson Fury and his penchant for wild boar testicles that was his explanation for a positive test for nandrolone. Tennis accepted it, though, and now we are all agreed there could not possibly have been any intent to gain an unfair advantage. Sinner did not miss a single Grand Slam, which was nice. He was welcomed back to the sport like a returning, and wronged, hero. From that moment onwards, barely anyone mentioned the anabolic steroids. Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the future of men's tennis, you see, and no one wants to sully that any more than they have to. In May, Sinner had an audience with the Pope and made a gift to him of a tennis racquet. In June, he released a duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. It was called Dust and Glory, which sounds better than Doping and Glory. When he lost a close match against Alcaraz in the final of the French Open last month, it was hailed as 'a match for the ages'. The swooning over him was enough to make one feel somewhat queasy. The rush to absolution was complete. Rarely can the beatification of a Sinner have been conducted so smoothly. Let us get one thing straight: Sinner should not have been playing at the French Open and he should not be here playing Novak Djokovic, who squeezed past Flavio Cobolli in four sets, in the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Friday, either. Whatever one's view of his intentions, the brevity of Sinner's ban was an insult to clean athletes everywhere. Three-time Grand Slam winner Stanislas Wawrinka spoke for many when he posted at the time: 'I don't believe in a clean sport anymore'. Nick Kyrgios called it a 'sad day for tennis' and former British No 1 Tim Henman said 'it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport'. They are all correct, of course. Sinner's success since the expiry of his ban and the way he has been welcomed back with open arms, cheered to the rafters wherever he goes, asks all manner of questions about whether there is any deterrent in tennis to mitigate against doping any more. A three-month ban for twice testing positive for an anabolic steroid? Maybe others will consider that that bargain is well worth the risk if they are considering doping deliberately, which Sinner was not, clearly. Tennis looks like a sport, frankly, that has given up in the battle against performance-enhancing drugs. Part of the equation is that the game is terrified of the commercial effect of the loss of the three greatest men's players of all time. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are gone already and Djokovic, still chasing that record 25th singles Grand Slam title, is deep into the autumn of his magnificent career. The game is betting the farm on an Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry but what a horrible irony it would be if Djokovic's tilt at that 25th slam, that would lift him above Margaret Court as the player with the most singles titles in history, were to be ended by an opponent who, if his punishment were in line with others meted out to transgressors, should still be banned. 'A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair,' Djokovic had said when the terms of Sinner's suspension were announced. 'A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers and whatnot.' It should be the hope of all those who believe in clean sport that Sinner loses on Centre Court on Friday. If he wins and progresses to the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz or Taylor Fritz, it will be an embarrassment for a tournament that deserves better.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Ministry plans sports conclave to bring together federations, sportspersons, and the corporate sector
The Union Sports Ministry has planned a two-day Sports Conclave to bring together the national federations, sportspersons, coaches and corporate sector, to discuss the way forward for Indian sports. Close on the heels of the vision document, approved as the National sports policy by the Union Cabinet, the government is expected to bring the Sports Bill, for better governance of sports. It will also open the avenue for sports tribunal, for speedy justice, and quick disposal of disputes. The judiciary will always be the last resort, and the sports tribunal, focused solely on sports matters, will attempt quick resolution. The government is also busy rephrasing the National Anti Doping Act after the previous proposal was rejected by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). Meanwhile, the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviyaannounced that the Khelo India Water Sports Festival would be hosted at the Dal Lake in Srinagar, from August 21 to 23. Five sports, Kayaking and canoeing, rowing, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat will feature in the festival, expected to attract about 400 athletes from across the country. 'Like the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu, we want Khelo India to become more inclusive and reach out to every corner of the country,' said the minister.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect
A drug that can be taken orally could soon rival the likes of Ozempic for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a new study. Although its efficacy hasn't yet been tested in humans, the compound could bypass some of the harmful side-effects associated with similar drugs. Unlike the famous family of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, this new candidate targets the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Drugs that do this aren't new: salbutamol (sold as Ventolin among other brand names) is widely prescribed for use in short stints to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clenbuterol is also prescribed for asthma in some countries, though it's better known as a performance-enhancing drug, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for its anabolic effects. For more than a decade, scientists have been trying to find a way to harness the benefits of β2AR agonists, without setting off their harmful effects. They can stimulate skeletal muscle glucose uptake and burn fat, mimicking the effects of exercise – but they have been considered too risky for treating diabetes or obesity, because of their tendency to wreak havoc on the heart. Related: The body's β2-adrenergic receptors are coupled with G proteins, and when activated for long periods (by β2AR drugs, for instance), the G proteins set off a chain reaction which leads to cardiovascular problems. "That would lead to heart rate increases, systolic blood pressure increases, and, eventually, that over-sustained exposure would lead to increases in heart weight and cardiac hypertrophy," molecular biologist Shane Wright, from Karolinska Institute in Sweden, told Mar de Miguel of Bioworld. But a campaign led by scientists from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm University, and the biotech company Atrogi AB has revealed a series of β2AR agonist molecules that can side-step the slippery slope triggered by the G proteins. By activating only specific pathways, one of these – dubbed 'compound 15' – seems less likely to cause those concerning side effects, though we won't know for sure until further clinical trials are carried out. Unlike GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, compound 15 doesn't suppress appetite or lead to muscle loss, which means it may be safer in that regard too. It's also much more user-friendly, as a drug that can be swallowed rather than injected. "The goal was to try to target this other action that this receptor has expressed in the skeletal muscle, not in the heart, where it is mediating glucose uptake as a very beneficial outlet for lowering blood glucose levels," Wright said. So far, the newly-designed drug has been tested in lab-grown cells, male mice, rats, beagles, and phase 1 clinical trials (which only test for safety, not efficacy) in healthy and type 2 diabetic men. "Lead candidates of the chemical series increased glucose tolerance in preclinical models of diabetes and obesity with little or no increase in contractile force, cardiac lesions, and cardiac hypertrophy," the authors report. They also reversed muscle atrophy induced by GLP-1 drugs. "Clinical evaluation demonstrated that our lead candidate was orally bioavailable and safe in both healthy volunteers and type 2 diabetics, underlining its therapeutic potential." Many more tests – and a catchier name – will be needed before compound 15 or its relatives are made available as an alternative to GLP-1 drugs. Phase 2 clinical trials are underway to see if the enhanced muscle growth, balanced glucose levels, and insulin sensitivity seen in animal tests hold up in human bodies. "A well-tolerated GRK2-biased agonist offers significant therapeutic potential beyond type 2 diabetes and obesity… like muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia," the authors add. The research was published in Cell. A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More 'Sky-High' Levels of Alzheimer's Protein Found in Newborns Alzheimer's Might Not Actually Be a Brain Disease, Says Expert
