Japan’s Koki Ikeda, who earned a silver medal in racewalking at the Tokyo Olympics, has been handed a four-year ban due to a doping violation, as announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Friday (14). According to Reuters, the decision follows allegations of using or attempting to use a prohibited substance.
As a result of the ban, Ikeda is ineligible to compete in the upcoming Japan Race Walking Championships scheduled for February 16. Additionally, all of his competitive results recorded between June 20, 2023, and November 1, 2024, have been disqualified, significantly impacting his athletic record.
Ikeda, 26, had been provisionally suspended since November after the AIU launched an investigation into his case. He denied the charges, which led the matter to be escalated to an appeals tribunal.
The AIU’s statement highlighted that the case involves irregularities found in blood samples collected from Ikeda on June 20, 2023, and during the timeframe of August 16 to September 13, 2023. These abnormalities are said to suggest possible blood manipulation.
“Specifically, the matter concerns abnormalities detected in blood samples collected from the Athlete on 20 June 2023 and during the period between 16 August and 13 September 2023, which are alleged to indicate blood manipulation,” the AIU said in a release.
Ikeda retains the option to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The outcome of this case underscores the ongoing challenges in sports regarding doping violations and the efforts to maintain fair competition.
He won a silver medal in the 20km racewalk event at the World Championships in 2022.
