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Faith Kipyegon’s 1500m rival, Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia, has been provisionally suspended and banned from competing in the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Diribe Welteji, Faith Kipyegon's rival has been suspended and will not compete at 2025 World Athletics Championships
Faith Kipyegon defeated Diribe Welteji at the Paris Olympic Games. Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis. Source: Getty Images

The 2025 World Athletics Championships get underway on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan, and will run until September 21.

Some of the world’s biggest and most legendary athletes, including Noah Lyles and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, will compete at the highly anticipated event.

According to a statement released by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Welteji will not compete in Tokyo.

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This comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld AIU’s application for provisional measures following a decision by the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority to clear the athlete to compete.

Welteji, who was set to compete in the women’s 800m and 1500m, was cleared of breaching anti-doping rule 2.3: Refusal or Failure to Submit to Sample Collection.

The EADA cleared Welteji on August 27, and the AIU obtained the file on September 1 before appealing the decision to CAS on September 11.

Welteji has now been provisionally suspended as they await the outcome of the appeal.

Diribe Welteji has been provisionally suspended until a drug test is resolved
Diribe Welteji was seen as the one to take over from Faith Kipyegon. Photo by Patrick Smith. Source: Getty Images
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The AIU stated that EADA cleared Welteji of an anti-doping rule violation for breaching Article 2.3, which states…

Welteji can be banned for up to four years for rule breaches if found guilty.

American sprinter Erriyon Knighton has also been banned for four years for doping.

Welteji finished second behind Kipyegon in the women’s 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, before handing the Kenyan a rare defeat at the World Road Running Championships in Riga later that year.

At the Paris Olympics, she finished fourth in the 1500m, while Kipyegon won her third gold medal. In Tokyo, Kipyegon is still expected to win gold in the distance.

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In a related story, we covered everything you need to know about the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

The event will take place throughout next week at the Japan National Stadium.

Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi are among the athletes selected to represent Kenya.

Source: TUKO.co.ke


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