Athletics-France's Samba-Mayela provisionally suspended by AIU

Olympic 100-metre hurdles silver ​medallist Cyrena Samba-Mayela has ​been provisionally suspended ‌for an ​alleged whereabouts violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday. French media ‌reported last month that Samba-Mayela, France's sole track and field medallist at the Paris Olympics, had recorded three whereabouts ‌failures within a 12-month period.

Under anti-doping rules, athletes ‌who accumulate three whereabouts failures, whether through missed tests, filing failures or a combination of both, within a year can be ⁠charged ​with an anti-doping ⁠rule violation and face a ban of up to two ⁠years. The ban puts her participation at the 2028 Los Angeles ​Olympics in doubt.

Her agent, Maka Haidara, said at the ⁠time that the proceedings were related solely to whereabouts obligations and ⁠not ​to the use of any prohibited substance, adding that Samba-Mayela had complied with the process and ⁠was cooperating with the investigation. Samba-Mayela has not competed since July ⁠and ⁠later withdrew from the European Championships in Birmingham due to a calf injury.