Eritrean marathon national record holder suspended on whereabouts

Eritrea’s Nazret Weldu, who finished fourth and eighth in the last two World Athletics Championships, has been handed a 20-month suspension for missing multiple doping tests.

On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the suspension of Nazret Weldu, Eritrea’s marathon record holder and 2024 Vienna Marathon champion, for violating World Athletics’ whereabouts regulations. The 34-year-old athlete has been banned for 20 months after missing three out-of-competition tests within 12 months, initiating an automatic suspension under World Athletics anti-doping rules.

The AIU detailed that Weldu’s three missed tests occurred between Nov. 9, 2023, and May 22, 2024. All athletes are required to provide accurate and up-to-date location information to allow for unannounced doping tests, a critical component in maintaining a clean sport. Weldu was given several weeks after each missed test to provide an explanation but failed to do so before AIU deadlines.

Weldu has been one of the top-ranked female marathoners in the world over the last three years, having recorded two top-10 finishes at the World Championships and a personal best marathon time of 2:20:29, which also stands as Eritrea’s national record. In April 2024, she won the Vienna Marathon in 2:24:08.

While an initial two-year ban is the standard penalty for three missed tests, Weldu’s suspension was reduced by four months. The AIU took into consideration her limited access to the internet and a lack of understanding of how to update her whereabouts information. Eritrea, her home country, has low internet penetration, with only 35 per cent of the population connected to a network.

The AIU and World Athletics rely on the whereabouts system to detect doping violations and ensure fairness in sport. Missing three tests is treated with the same severity as a positive doping result, underscoring the importance of accurate whereabouts information.

posted Wednesday September 11th
by Marley Dickinson