Koki Ikeda Faces Four-Year Ban for Doping Violation

Tokyo Olympics racewalking silver medallist Koki Ikeda has been banned for four years due to doping allegations. The ban effectively erases his competitive results from June 2023 to November 2024. Despite appealing the charge, Ikeda faces disqualification from national and future competitions.

Tokyo Olympics racewalking silver medallist Koki Ikeda has been handed a four-year ban for doping violations, as announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit on Friday. The ban prohibits his participation in the Japan Race Walking Championships on February 16 and nullifies all his competitive results between June 20, 2023, and November 1, 2024.

Ikeda, aged 26, was provisionally suspended in November after abnormalities were found in his blood samples collected over several months in 2023. Despite denying the charges, the case was elevated to an appeals tribunal, where it was alleged the samples indicated blood manipulation.

Ikeda retains the right to appeal this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.