Botswana 800m star Nijel Amos hit with 3-year doping ban

Botswana’s Nijel Amos, an Olympic 800m silver medallist in 2012, has been banned for three years after testing positive for metabolites, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Wednesday.

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The 29-year-old tested positive for metabolites during an out-of-competition urine test in June 2022 and was provisionally suspended a month later, meaning he missed out on the world championships in Eugene.

The type of metabolities found in his sample, GW1516, “modifies how the body metabolizes fat,” the AIU said.

Nijel Amos is the third-fastest 800m runner ever

“It was originally synthesized and evaluated for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and other disorders caused by metabolic problems but is now not approved for human use.”

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The three-year ban rules Amos out of competition until July 2025, meaning the Botswanan will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Amos is the third fastest runner over 800m of all time, having run 1:41.73 when winning silver behind David Rudisha at the London Olympics, when the Kenyan set the world record of 1:40.91.

By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

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