Olympic silver medalist Koki Ikeda suspended for doping

The 26-year-old Japanese race walker Koki Ikeda, one of the world's top competitors in race walking and a leading figure in his national team, has been provisionally suspended this week by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which has detected unusual data in his biological passport.

As required by World Athletics protocol, this preventive measure is applied in cases where irregular figures are found, even when no direct violation has occurred in an anti-doping test that identifies a specific banned substance. Ikeda will now need to account for the unusual data in his biological passport to avoid a definitive suspension.

The Associated Press reported that Ikeda received the provisional ban for "suspected blood doping," quoting the AIU, which is based in Monaco. The anti-doping body stated on Friday that the issue relates to the "use of a prohibited substance/method." The biological passport can indicate markers of doping over time without an athlete testing positive for a banned substance. Investigators have not provided a timetable for the disciplinary case.

The race walker and the Japanese federation received this unfortunate news ahead of hosting their World Race Walking Championships in Tokyo in September 2025. Ikeda stated on Saturday that he is "completely bewildered" and pleaded his innocence. In a statement released to Japanese media, he expressed his intention to fight to clear his name. "For reasons that I know absolutely nothing about, I may not be able to compete in my next race, and I am utterly bewildered," he remarked.

He also mentioned that he would "strive for the truth to come to light and for a fair result." "From here on, I would be very grateful for your understanding and support," he added. The disciplinary proceedings are now underway.

Ikeda was the Olympic silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Games and took silver at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon. This season, he achieved a second-place finish in the mixed relays at the World Team Championships in Antalya in April, as well as winning gold at the Japanese National Championships, which earned him direct qualification for Paris 2024, where he finished seventh in the 20-kilometre race. He concluded the year in October with a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre event in Yamaguchi.

posted Friday November 8th
by Javier Carro