Ethiopian Runner Stripped of Silver Medal Following Doping Violation
Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji has been stripped of her silver medal from the World Indoor Championships following a doping violation. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a two-year suspension against Welteji for failing to provide a doping sample in February 2025.
As a result, all her competitive results since that time, including the silver medal won in the women's 1,500 meters at last year's World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, have been disqualified.
This significant ruling has implications for other competitors. British bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell is expected to be upgraded to silver.
Australia's Georgia Griffith, who finished fourth at the event, would consequently receive the bronze medal. Griffith had set an Australian and Oceanic indoor record with her performance, and this would mark her first major global medal.
Welteji's suspension is backdated to July 8, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2027.