A doping scandal has rocked the world of race walking. On Friday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced a four-year ban for Japanese racewalker Koki Ikeda, a former world #1 and Olympic silver medallist.
A Disciplinary Tribunal has banned Koki Ikeda (Japan) for 4 years, from 1 November 2024, for the Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP case). DQ results since 20 June 2023.
Details here:https://t.co/ILosOkplR4https://t.co/1XtB0nT3ws pic.twitter.com/gLJLivHaPN
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) February 14, 2025
According to the AIU report, the 26-year-old was found guilty of violating Rule 2.2 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, which prohibits the use or attempted use of a banned substance or method. The AIU flagged abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), a system that tracks biological markers over time to detect potential doping violations. Three blood samples were reportedly taken from Ikeda in June, August and September of 2023, showing signs of blood manipulation. Ikeda placed 15th at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Aug. 2023, and seventh at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s 20km race walk event, two places behind Canada’s Evan Dunfee.
Ikeda captured silver in the 20km race walk at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and repeated the feat at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore. The AIU says all his results from June 2023 onward will be disqualified. The ban will take him away from the sport until Nov. 1, 2028, and make him ineligible to compete at the L.A. Olympic Games.
The ABP tracks biological markers over time to detect doping indirectly, enabling the AIU to monitor individual profiles and flag irregularities that may indicate performance-enhancing drug use. The AIU’s ABP system has caught several high-profile athletes this year, including 2023 Tokyo Marathon runner-up Ethiopia Tsehay Gemechu and former 10K world record holder Rhonex Kipruto of Kenya.
