Ekaterina Guliyev is facing the loss of her 800 meters silver medal from the 2012 Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her appeal against a four-year doping ban, as announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Originally competing for Russia, Guliyev switched allegiance to Turkey after a contentious career marred by doping allegations.
The AIU’s decision means that Kenyan Pamela Jelimo and American Alysia Montano are poised to be awarded the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Guliyev, who was banned in April 2024 after previously serving a two-year ban in 2017 for other doping violations, had the duration of her current ban reduced to two years due to time already served.
Her disqualification stems from testing positive for banned substances during the 2012 games, specifically including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, and boldenone—all of which are substances that enhance performance or serve as anabolic steroids. Following her upgrade to silver due to the disqualification of Russian athlete Mariya Savinova, Guliyev’s accolades are now under serious scrutiny.
The ruling from the CAS also involves a process wherein World Athletics will disqualify her results and notify the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to facilitate the reallocation of the medals. This case is part of a broader investigation known as ‘Operation LIMS’, which unveiled extensive doping practices within Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory, affecting numerous athletes.
As the athletics community continues to grapple with issues of doping and fairness, the hope remains that such rigorous enforcement of anti-doping rules will lead to a cleaner and more equitable sport for all competitors, fostering an environment that values integrity and fairness in athletics. This situation serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in ensuring that all athletes can compete on a level playing field.
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