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Elijah Manangoi, 11th fastest 1,500m runner in the world, banned until 2021

Another contender for an Olympic medal will be forced to sit out the 2021 Games

This week, Elijah Manangoi, 30, the 11th fastest 1,500m runner in history, had his doping ban upheld and will be banned from sport until December 22, 2021. Manangoi initially received a two-year ban from competition in July 2020 after two missed drug tests. He appealed, but the ban has officially been upheld. Manangoi has a personal best of 3:28.80.

RELATED: Former 1,500m world champion suspended for whereabouts failures

This year has seen unprecedented levels of whereabouts failures. Most recently, American sprinter and 2019 100m world champion Christian Coleman was suspended for a similar infraction. Both runners would’ve been major contenders at the upcoming Olympics, but will now have to sit this cycle out. 

RELATED: Christian Coleman must serve 2-year suspension after all

According to World Athletics’ anti-doping rules, three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period constitute a whereabouts violation. Out-of-competition testing (testing that doesn’t take place at a race) works on a “three strikes” model – a third missed test in a 12-month period is treated as a positive test, and a competition ban of two years is standard. This has become increasingly common in 2020 as testing was suspended for several months during the pandemic. Testing resumed in the spring, and two years is the standard ban for whereabouts failures. 

RELATED: Andre De Grasse believes his generation of sprinters competes clean

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