Runner Gomathi Marimuthu's Appeal Against Four-Year Suspension For Doping Rejected

Runner Gomathi Marimuthu’s appeal against her four-year suspension for doping was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

32-year-old Gomathi Marimuthu’s doping ban period began on May 17, 2019, and will run till May 16, 2023.

In 2019, middle distance runner Marimuthu had won the gold medal in the women’s 800m at the Asian Athletic Championships. Her urine sample was taken during the Asian Championships on April 22, 2019. The urine sample tested positive for the banned 19-norandrosterone, an anabolic steroid.

Marimuthu was stripped of her gold medal. A four-year ban was imposed on her by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in 2019. During the four-year ban, Marimuthu will not be eligible to compete in any event that is sanctioned by the World Athletics. She approached the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and challenged the verdict.

CAS arbitrator Professor Jan Paulsson ruled that Marimuthu was guilty of doping. Paulsson also ruled that she would undergo a four-year suspension as ordered by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal. All medals won between March 18, 2019, and May 17, 2019, would also be void.

Gomathi Marimuthu had failed three drug tests before the 2019 Asian Championships. She failed one on March 18, 2019, during the Federation Cup in Patiala. On April 13, 2019, during the selection trials in Patiala, she failed two drug tests. Her positive result during the Federation Cup was revealed by the National Anti Doping Agency after she had already competed for the Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar.

In the appeal, Marimuthu contented that she suffered from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The appeal said that the PCOS and her miscarriage in 2019 could have caused the high concentration of 19-norandrosterone found in her urine sample. She alleged that an improper testing process resulted in the unreliability of the results. The CAS arbitrator Paulsson dismissed the contentions.