BREAKING NEWS : Gudaf Tsegay has been banned for four months by the AIU after testing positive for prohibited substance letrozole

Today we got some unexpected news following the situation that Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia has been handed a four month sanction after testing positive for letrozole in an out of competition test last December.

(Image credit to @gudaf_tsegay on Instagram)

Gudaf Tsegay who is the 2022 world champion at 5.000m , the 2023 world champion at 10.000m and the former 5.000m world record holder with a time of 14:00.21 , disclosed the finding immediately and provided medical documentation showing the substance was prescribed to treat a diagnosed condition. World Athletics has confirmed her treatment met Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)  standards. 

Tsegay tested positive in an out of competition urine sample on December 5th 2025. The AIU classified the violation under no fault. The four month ban runs from June 1st to September 30 2026 which means that she will miss the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest which it is on September 11th up to September 13th.

Article written by Ioanna Ntontsef ©Ioanna Ntontsef