Ethiopian runner Tsegay gets four-month ban for doping

Former world champion Gudaf Tsegay has received a four-month ban for doping. She admitted to having a banned substance in an out-of-competition test. The Athletics Integrity Unit made this announcement on Friday.

The 29-year-old Ethiopian athlete won a bronze medal in the women’s 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics. She also took home world titles in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events. Tsegay tested positive for a metabolite of Letrozole in December 2025.

Letrozole is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances. It is an aromatase inhibitor that lowers estrogen levels. Doctors often prescribe it for certain medical conditions, including breast cancer.

The AIU reported that Tsegay acted quickly after she was informed of the positive test in January. She explained that a doctor had prescribed Letrozole for a diagnosed medical issue and provided the necessary medical documents.

In February, Tsegay applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption. World Athletics found that her treatment met WADA’s international standards for these exemptions. But WADA denied her request for a retroactive TUE, which led to a violation of anti-doping rules. Tsegay then agreed to a resolution with WADA and the AIU.

The AIU stated that a four-month suspension was “considered appropriate” based on the rules about no significant fault or negligence by the athlete. They added that the sanction took into account “the athlete’s degree of fault, her prompt admission of the violation, the fact that the presence of Letrozole met WADA’s international standards on TUEs and the recognition she would have been granted a TUE if it had been requested in advance.”

Tsegay's ban is backdated to June 1 and will last until September 30. This suspension affects one of Ethiopia’s top distance runners. The shorter ban shows that anti-doping authorities believe she used the substance for a valid medical reason. They also think she would have received permission to use it if she had followed the proper process.