Tokyo Olympics racewalking silver medallist Koki Ikeda has been banned for four years for using or attempting to use a banned drug, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Friday, 14th February.
Ikeda will not be allowed to participate in the Japan Race Walking Championships on 16th February, and all his competitive results between 20th June 2023 and 1st November 2024 are disqualified.
The 26-year-old Japanese was provisionally suspended for a doping rule violation in November, and the matter was referred to an appeals tribunal after Ikeda denied the charge.
“Specifically, the matter concerns abnormalities detected in blood samples collected from the Athlete on 20th June 2023 and during the period between 16th August and 13th September 2023, which are alleged to indicate blood manipulation,” the AIU said in a statement.
Ikeda can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
