Chennai: Crying foul on dope charges against Gomathi Marimuthu, who won the 800 metres gold at the Asian Championships last month, her family members said that she is innocent and has not taken any banned substance.
They want sample ‘B’ given by her should be tested immediately to know the truth.
On Tuesday, Gomathi Marimuthu was handed a provisional suspension after being tested positive for a banned substance. The ‘A’ sample of the 30-year-old runner, who clocked 2 minute 2.70 seconds to win gold on 22 April, has returned positive for 19-norandrosterone, a metabolite of nandrolone (an anabolic steroid), in the test conducted during the championships in Doha.
International Athletics Federation’s Athletics Integrity Unit tweeted late on Tuesday to confirm Gomathi’s dope flunk. It also updated the list of athletes who were placed under provisional suspension worldwide. “The AIU confirms Provisional Suspensions against Indian sprinter (sic) Gomathi Marimuthu and Bahraini long-distance runner Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa, both for a violation of the @iaaforg Anti-Doping Rules,” the AIU tweeted.
In the updated list, the AIU entered ‘Presence of a Prohibited Substance (19-norandrosterone) (Article 2.1)’ against Gomathi’s name, adding ‘Notice of Allegation Issued’.
It is learnt that Gomathi had earlier tested positive for a banned substance in the sample the National Anti-Doping Agency collected in Patiala during the 15-18 March Federation Cup but was not communicated by the national anti-doping watchdog on time.
Her family members allege that there is a conspiracy to defame her. Such charges are being framed against her by those who cannot withstand her success, they add.
According to experts, “If her ‘B’ sample also tests positive, she faces a maximum ban of four years — as this will be her first doping offence — while India will lose a gold medal from the Asian Championships.”