LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — One of the world’s top middle-distance runners has been banned for two years in a dispute…LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — One of the world’s top middle-distance runners has been banned for two years in a dispute over a missed drug test which overshadowed the opening of last year’s world championships. World Athletics wanted a four-year ban but CAS reduced the sanction, accepting Welteji’s rules violation wasn’t intentional. The two-year ban ends in June 2027, when Welteji will be 25, and means she could qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Welteji was initially cleared by an Ethiopian tribunal in August and was due to race on the opening day of the world championships in Tokyo the following month. World Athletics objected and she was ruled ineligible to compete the day before.

Source: Ethiopian News February 26, 2026 16:17 UTC