Jele’s latest ban is another heavy blow for the athlete after she recently returned to competitive action after a lengthy four-year ban for another doping incident in 2018
GAZETTE REPORTER
Women’s 400m runner Lydia Jele has been handed a provisional suspension by the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) after testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.
The substance is considered performance-enhancing and is currently on the prohibited list as stipulated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
BNOC made the announcement last Wednesday when it revealed that the athlete tested positive during a control test. WADA has listed the banned substance as an Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS).
On the 2024 WADA Prohibited List
“Stanozolol is a non-specified substance on the 2024 WADA Prohibited List and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for such a substance under the Botswana Anti-Doping Rules (Botswana ADR) and the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC),” said BNOC in a statement.
“The BNOC collected the sample from Ms Jele during an out of competition test on the 17th of June 2024. The athlete has been notified of the AAF and her mandatory provisional suspension from sports and associated activities.
“The case will undergo processing in line with the International Standard for Results Management (ISRM).”
Another heavy blow
Jele’s latest ban is another heavy blow for the athlete after she recently returned to competitive action after a lengthy four-year ban for another doping incident in 2018.
The ban followed after she was provisionally suspended from 2017. She returned to the track in March 2022. Jele was part of the national women’s 4x400m relay team that took part in the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships.
The 34-year old athlete is a three-time national champion who has also won medals at continental level. The latest ban will halt her aim to expand on the array of honours she has collected over the years.
Independent tribunal
She was handed a four-year ban in 2018 after violating anti-doping rules as samples from a routine test discovered the presence of a banned substance, Metandienone. The 2018 ban was imposed by an independent tribunal which consisted of Jeffrey Benz, Christopher Quinlan and Dr Anik Sax.
The trio determined that the athlete was liable for the doping mishap and that athletes ought to ensure that they do not allow any intake of prohibited substances.