Last May, the former world U20 100m record holder Issam Asinga received a four-year doping ban after testing positive for metabolites of GW1516, a banned substance. Now, his coach and former Zambian Olympian, Gerald Phiri, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for possession of GW1516 and meldonium (another banned substance) and for failing to co-operate with the anti-doping investigation.
This development comes during an ongoing joint anti-doping probe by the AIU and USADA, which was triggered after Asinga, 16-year-old Skyler Franklin and another athlete–all coached by Phiri– reportedly tested positive for GW1516 between July 2023 and August 2024. Asinga claimed the positive result was due to contaminated Gatorade recovery gummies. Phiri has been under investigation since, amid suspicions of supplying these high-school athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.
While he was still competing in 2018 and 2019, Phiri allegedly violated doping regulations for possession of GW1516. In 2024, he was found in possession of meldonium while acting as an athlete support person. He was flagged again when he “failed to co-operate with the investigation by providing false and inaccurate information.”
GW1516, also known as Cardarine, and meldonium are both metabolic modulators, known to boost endurance and aerobic performance. Both are banned in and out of competition.
Phiri is the director of track and cross-country at the Monteverde Academy, a prestigious Florida college-preparatory school. The institution has one of the top private school sports programs in the U.S., with annual tuition costs of US$60,000. Phiri represented Zambia at the Rio 2016 and London 2012 Olympics for the 100m, and went on to become a three-time NCAA champion competing for Texas A&M University.
Phiri’s suspension began on March 17.
“Montverde Academy has been notified by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) stating that Coach Gerald Phiri has been provisionally suspended due to alleged violations of World Athletics rules,” Montverde Academy said in an official statement on Tuesday. “Coach Phiri intends to appeal these sanctions.”
“As this is an ongoing investigation, we have not been provided with any substantive details at this time,” the statement read. “In compliance with the suspension, Coach Phiri will also be suspended from Montverde Academy and will not have any personal contact with our student-athletes pending the outcome of the investigation. Our top priority remains the support of our student-athletes and maintaining the high standards of our track & field program.”
