Botswana’s Olympic silver medallist in 800m, Nijel Amos, has been banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for metabolites, the AIU announced on Wednesday.
Amos was found positive for metabolites during an out-of-competition urine test in June 2022 and was provisionally suspended a month later, resulting in him missing the world championships in Eugene.
The metabolites found in his sample were GW1516, which “modifies how the body metabolizes fat” and is not approved for human use.
The ban will prevent Amos from participating in competitions until July 2025, thereby making him miss the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Despite being the third-fastest runner over 800m, having won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012, Amos has received a significant blow to his career.
