Running News Daily

Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji has been handed a two-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld an appeal filed by World Athletics.

The ruling confirms that Welteji committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation after failing to provide a sample during an out-of-competition test conducted on 25 February 2025.

In its decision, CAS stated that the violation was not intentional. However, the panel determined that the athlete was negligent and did not present sufficient justification for failing to comply with the testing requirements. Under global anti-doping regulations, athletes are strictly responsible for cooperating with testing procedures at all times.

As a result of the ruling, Welteji will serve a two-year period of ineligibility from 8 July 2025 through 30 June 2027, with credit given for the provisional suspension already served. In addition, all competitive results recorded from 25 February 2025 onward have been disqualified.

The decision marks a significant pause in the career of one of Ethiopia’s leading middle-distance talents, who has been a regular presence on the international circuit in recent seasons.

Welteji will be eligible to return to competition on 30 June 2027. Until then, the sanction stands under the framework of World Athletics’ anti-doping code, reinforcing the sport’s commitment to maintaining integrity and equal standards for all competitors.