First Olympic athlete tests positive for doping at Paris 2024 Games with judo star, 28, banned from competing

An Iraqi male judo star has recorded the first positive doping test of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sajjad Sehen has been suspended from competing after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids on Tuesday.

Reuters

An Iraqi male judo star has recorded the first positive doping test of Paris 2024[/caption]

The organisation responsible for doping controls – the International Testing Agency (ITA) – announced the positive test on Friday.

The ITA said a sample collected from Sehen had “returned an adverse analytical finding for the non-specified prohibited substances metandienone and boldenone”.

Both drugs are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The 28-year-old first-time Olympian had been due to compete next week in the men’s 81-kilogram class.

The ITA statement said the athlete had been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter, in line with anti-doping rules.

Sehen has the right to request the analysis of his B sample but won’t now be eligible to take up his place in the competition.

A ITA statement read: “The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter in line with the Code and the IOC Rules applicable to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

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“The athlete has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport – Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD).”

The ITA manages an independent anti-doping programme for the Olympics in Paris on behalf of the International Olympic Committee.