LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — In a significant development within the athletics community, a young sprinter who attributed his doping result to contaminated “recovery gummies” has been unsuccessful in overturning a four-year suspension. Issam Asinga, a rising star who set an Under-20 record in the 100 meters, had his appeal rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday.
Representing Suriname, the 20-year-old Asinga tested positive for GW1516, a prohibited substance known for enhancing endurance and reducing fat. Although initially developed for medical purposes, GW1516 was abandoned due to cancer risks identified during animal testing.
Asinga’s defense rested on his claim that he consumed the banned substance inadvertently through contaminated Gatorade gummies. He received the gummies in a gift bag during a visit to Los Angeles, where he was honored as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for track and field.
The Athletics Integrity Unit imposed the four-year ban in May 2024, also nullifying Asinga’s record-setting 9.89-second 100-meter sprint at the South American championships in 2023. In response, Asinga appealed the decision, maintaining that he “never used and would never knowingly use any banned substance, risking a promising career and my entire future.”
However, the CAS panel concluded that Asinga did not prove that it was more probable than not that the gummies were contaminated with GW1516. Consequently, the panel determined that a reduction in his sanction due to No Fault or Negligence was not justified. They also found no evidence to suggest that Asinga’s anti-doping violation was unintentional.
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