Last year's Fukuoka International Marathon winner El Mahjoub Dazza of Morocco has been handed a four-year doping ban

2019 Fukuoka Int'l Marathon winner Dazza handed 4-year doping ban,  the Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday.

"The World Athletes Disciplinary Tribunal has banned long-distance runner El Mahjoub Dazza of Morocco for four years with effect from 10 January 2020 for an Athlete Biological Passport violation under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules," AIU said on its Twitter account.

The 29-year-old Dazza, who has been under provisional suspension since January for an "atypical passport result," will lose all results from May 4, 2019, to Jan. 10, 2020. The decision is subject to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pending any appeals, it means he will lose his 2019 Prague Marathon and 2019 Fukuoka International Marathon titles, in the latter case elevating runner-up Taku Fujimoto to winner. Fujimoto failed to earn a place on the Olympic team through the December race.

The AIU is a watchdog founded by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 2017 to combat doping in the sport of athletics.

posted Saturday August 1st