Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Bahraini marathon runner El Hassan El Abbassi after returning an adverse analytical finding for a homologous blood transfusion following a test at the Tokyo 2020.
The 37-year-old’s sample was collected after the Olympic marathon in Sapporo on 8th August where he finished 25th with a time of 2:15.56 in a race won Eliud Kipchoge.
Homologous blood transfusions involve someone collecting and infusing the blood of a compatible donor while autologous blood transfusions use a person’s own blood that has been stored.
The AIU has started disciplinary proceedings against long-distance runner El Hassan El Abbassi 🇧🇭, for an Adverse Analytical Finding from testing conducted during @Tokyo2020 by @IntTestAgency.
The athlete has been provisionally suspended.
👁️⬇️ https://t.co/opInfkVlnV #AIUNews pic.twitter.com/hCRq9Urpv7— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) August 19, 2021
The International Testing Agency (ITA), in charge of drugs testing during the Games, reported the results of the test on Aug. 15 and said that the athlete had the right to have his ‘B’ sample examined.
ITA had also suspended another Bahrainian middle distance runner Alsadik Mikhou for receiving a blood transfusion during the Tokyo Olympic Games.
El Abbassi won gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea and a silver medal in the marathon four years later at Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare and Kenyan 100m runner Mark Otieno Odhiambo were both previously suspended for drug violations.
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