May 28, (THEWILL) – Brazilian pole vaulter, Thiago Braz, the gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has been suspended for 16 months after testing positive for a banned substance. The 30-year-old will miss the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics due to the violation.
The Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Tuesday that Braz had breached anti-doping rules by having the prohibited anabolic agent ostarine in his system during an out-of-competition test last July. Ostarine aids muscle growth and athletic performance.
Braz, who also won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games, claims he inadvertently consumed the ostarine through contaminated supplements provided by his nutritionist. While the tribunal accepted he did not intend to cheat, they still imposed a 16-month ineligibility period backdated to last July.
The Brazilian star has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the length of the ban. The Athletics Integrity Unit had pushed for a four-year suspension originally. Braz will be eligible to return to competition in late November 2024 based on the current sanction.
Doping violations continue to rock athletics despite renewed efforts to catch cheats. Braz’s case is the latest high-profile drug scandal to hit the Olympic pole vault competition in recent years.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
