Golden Dreams Dashed: Twinkle Chaudhary's Four-Year Ban

Indian runner Twinkle Chaudhary has been handed a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for testing positive for a banned substance. Despite her efforts to contest the sample's integrity, the tribunal maintained the suspension. She was cleared of breaching her provisional suspension by attending a university event.

Indian middle-distance runner Twinkle Chaudhary has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for methyltestosterone, a prohibited anabolic steroid. Despite her attempts to prove that the sample might not belong to her, the tribunal upheld the decision.

Chaudhary, 30, was initially provisionally suspended in May last year but was exonerated from breaching the suspension terms after successfully arguing she did not compete in the Khelo India University Games. The tribunal affirmed that any participation was for social, not competitive, reasons.

The incident dates back to a sample collected during the Asian Athletics Championships, where Chaudhary finished fourth in the women's 800m. Despite claims that the sample could have been tampered with, and a request for DNA testing, the tribunal rejected her arguments due to lack of justification, affirming a ban until June 2029.

(With inputs from agencies.)