Brazil’s marathon record holder to miss 2028 Olympics due to doping ban

On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced a five-year ban for Brazilian marathon record holder and 2:04 man Daniel do Nascimento, after he tested positive for three prohibited substances during an out-of-competition test in July 2024. The ban will keep do Nascimento out of competition until July 2029, meaning he will miss the 2028 Games.

The AIU has banned Daniel Do Nascimento (Brazil) for 5 years from 15 July 2024 for Presence/Use of Prohibited Substances (Drostanolone, Metenolone, Nandrolone). DQ results from 4 July 2024
Details here: https://t.co/cs1aCVZ1Tx pic.twitter.com/Ye2OR8VaWr

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) May 7, 2025

According to Brazilian media outlet Globo, do Nascimento tested positive for three anabolic steroids: drostanolone, metenolone and nandrolone, during a test conducted on July 4 while he was training in Kenya for the Paris Olympics. All three substances are listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2024 Prohibited List.

Following the positive test, the 26-year-old Brazilian was provisionally suspended and missed the Paris Olympics. He had qualified for the men’s marathon at the Games with a 2:07:06 performance at the 2023 Hamburg Marathon.

Do Nascimento’s personal best of 2:04:51, set at the 2022 Seoul Marathon, remains the South American marathon record. Beyond his record, he gained international attention for an infamous porta-potty stop while leading the 2022 New York City Marathon. He had set a blistering pace through 30 km before collapsing and failing to finish the race.

fofura em pace absurdo: daniel do nascimento e eliud kipchoge na maratona. #tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/q9jpf6K95f

— Osmar Portilho (@josmi) August 7, 2021

He also made headlines during the 2020 Olympic marathon in Tokyo, where he exchanged mid-race fist bumps with former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge. The moment went viral and solidified do Nascimento’s status as a well-known figure in Brazilian and global distance running circles.

Typically, a first-time doping violation would result in a four-year ban. However, instead of accepting the charge when it was issued by the AIU in July 2024, do Nascimento did not respond for six months, citing mental health challenges. When he finally responded in February 2025, he did not explain the presence of the three banned substances.

Due to this delay and failure to establish that the violation was unintentional, the AIU extended the standard four-year sanction to six years. However, with a one-year reduction granted for eventually accepting the sanction, his final period of ineligibility was set at five years.