Sri Lanka in line for another Asian medal
India’s Asian Championship2019- 800M Gold Medalist , Marimuthu Gomathi has been stripped off her medals and has banned for four years where 4th place finisher Gayanthika Abeyrathne now awaits an upgrade.
Last year we revealed that Gomathi had been provisionally suspended on 21 May 2019 for a banned substance found in the sample collected following her Gold medal run in April. 4th place finisher Gayanthika Abeyrathne now awaits an upgrade and is in line to receive the Bronze.
“Presence of a Prohibited Substance (19-Norandrosterone) (Article 2.1) Use of a Prohibited Substance (Article 2.2) – 4 years ineligibility from 17 May 2019 DQ results: 18 March 2019 to 17 May 2019 – DT decision appealable” stated the verdict by AIU .
Commenting to Indian media Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Adille Sumariwalla said: “AFI will not be involved in the case. It has zero tolerance towards doping. We are doing 1,500 tests every year. And we are also working to make doping a criminal offence.”
Gomathi still has the option of appealing to the Court of Arbitration (CAS), and had commented to the Indian media that she is willing to take that option.
Gayanthika Abeyrathne finished fourth in the 800m finals held on 23 April with a time of 2 minutes 05.74 seconds, while Gomathi clocked a personal best of 2 minutes 02.70 seconds to win the Gold medal.
With Gomathi’s medal being stripped, China’s Chunyi Wang is set to be upgraded to Gold followed by Kazkasthan’s Mararita Mukasheva to Silver and Gayanthika to Bronze. Asian Athletics Association (AAA) is yet to make an announcement about the possible medal re-allocation.
President of the Athletics Association Maj.Gen Palitha Fernando said that he is going to discuss the medal re-allocation with AAA.
This is the second consecutive time Gayanthika is getting an upgrade in the Asian Championship medal tally due to disciplinary violation by an Indian athlete. In 2017 India’s Archana Adhav who finished first was disqualified for violating competition rules and Gayanthika was upgraded to Silver medal. Early last year’s India’s top quarter miler Nirmala Sheoran was banned for four years and stripped of the Gold medals she won in the 400m and 4x400m at the 2017 Asian Championship, and early last month India’s distance runner Kiranjit Kaur was banned for four years; that too for use of a banned substance.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is also keeping a close eye on World 400m champion Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser’s case, who has been provisionally banned by the AIU. As per AIU Naser had three whereabouts violations by October 2019 when she competed at the World Championship. Naser won five medals – including four Gold medals – in the Asian Championship 2019 in April, where the Sri Lanka 4x400m relay team finished fourth due to Naser’s amazing last leg. If a possible ban is applicable from April or earlier, Sri Lanka could secure another Bronze medal, which would take their medal count at the Asian Championship 2019 to three.
Vidusha Lakshani was the only Bronze medalist at the Asian Championship 2019 in the Triple Jump.
AIU is an independent anti-doping watchdog for track and field set up by World Athletics in 2017.
