MONACO (August 11) – Issam Asinga, the teenage sprint standout who highlighted his repartition by defeating world champion Noah Lyles in a 100-meter race in Florida in April, has been provisionally suspended after a positive doping test, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday.
Why Was Issam Asinga Suspended?
Read more: Issam Asinga completes South American Athletics Outdoor Championships sprint double
Asinga received a “notice of allegation” from the AIU due to a positive test for GW1516, a prohibited substance with a bad reputation. As the AIU investigates the matter, Asinga is temporarily suspended from participating in competitions.
“The AIU has provisionally suspended Issamade Asinga (Suriname) for the presence/use of a Prohibited Substance (GW1516),” the track and field investigators said on their official Twitter account Friday.
In was only two weeks ago that Asinga posted a stunning Under-20 world record for the 100m, clocking a time of 9.89 seconds while representing Suriname at the 2023 South American championships in Brazil. The time, which also set a South American senior area record, was part of his sprint double performance at the championships in São Paulo.
Read the list of AIU currently suspended athletes here
Asinga’s reputation soared after beating American two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles in Clermont, Florida, in April with a wind-assisted 9.83. The 18-year-old, who has also clocked four sub-9.90 seconds wind-aided times this season, has also posted a sub-20 time in the 200 meters in April, recording 19.97 at Lubbock, Texas.
The teenage star who recently completed his senior year at Montverde Academy in Florida, and is the youngest to dip under the 10 seconds barrier for the 100m dash, has reportedly committed to attending college at Texas A&M.
However, there were also reports that he was contemplating a professional career instead taking the collegiate route.
He will now miss the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, which starts on August 19 and will run through August 27.
What is GW1516?
GW1516, the substance found in Issam Asinga’s test, was initially developed to help build endurance and burn fat but failed medical trials when discovered to cause cancer during tests on rodents.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) warned athletes in 2013 that the substance posed a toxic threat to health if used as a performance enhancer.
Meanwhile, the AIU has not provided a timetable to process Asinga’s case, leaving uncertainty over the young sprinter’s future.
–AP, News Media, World-Track
