In November 2019 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Ethiopian Athlete Etaferahu Wodaj after her A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substances Recombinant Erythropoietin (rhEPO) and Testosterone.
After notification the Athlete filed a statement in her defence. She explained with medical information that she underwent treatment for her condition in a Clinic and in a Hospital in her country in October 2019.
At the request of the AIU the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Office (ETH-NADO) investigated the authenticity of the filed medical information. ETH-NADO reported that the Clinic ceased its operations in September 2019, its telephone number was not listed and the mentioned doctor was not registered and had no authority to issue a patient referral. Further ETH-NADO reported that no patient record existed for the Athlete in the Hospital in question, the medical certificate purported to have been issued by the Hospital was false while the stamp on this medical certificate was not used by the Hospital.
Consequently the AIU reported in May 2020 the following violations against the Athlete:
1.) First Anti-Doping Rule Violation(s):
- Presence of prohibited substances;
- Use of a prohibited substances.
2.) Second Anti-Doping Rule Violation:
Tampering by providing fraudulent information to the AIU after notification about the First Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
Hereafter the Athlete failed to respond to the AIU communications. Without the Athlete’s response to the charges the AIU deems that the Athlete has admitted the First and Second Anti-Doping Rule violation, waived her right to be heard and accepted the imposed sanction, i.e. 4 years for the First violations and 8 years for the Second violation running sequentlially in accordance with the Rules.
Therefore the IAU decides on 16 June 2020 to impose a 12 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 20 November 2019.
