Aishwarya Mishra’s 400m bronze at 2023 Asian Championships to be upgraded to silver

Aishwarya was also part of the mixed 4x400m relay team that won gold as well the women’s 4x400m relay team that bagged a bronze in the championships.

Farida Soliyeva of Uzbekistan, who had finished second, tested positive for a banned substance, leading to Aishwarya’s (centre) bronze upgrading to silver. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar/The Hindu

Top Indian athlete Aishwarya Mishra’s 400m bronze medal at 2023 Asian Championships will be upgraded to silver as original second-place finisher Farida Soliyeva of Uzbekistan failed a dope test.

Soliyeva’s urine sample collected on July 13, during the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok last year, contained prohibited substance Meldonium and the Athletics Integrity Unit, the international federation’s body for combating doping, disqualified all her results from that date.

“The AIU has banned Farida Soliyeva (Uzbekistan) for 3 years from 13 September 2023 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Meldonium). DQ (disqualify) results from 13 July 2023,” the AIU said.

Soliyeva had finished second with a time of 52.95 seconds while Aishwarya was third in 53.07 seconds. Nadeesha Ramanayake of Sri Lanka had won gold with a time of 52.61 seconds.

Aishwarya was also part of the mixed 4x400m relay team that won gold as well the women’s 4x400m relay team that bagged a bronze in the championships.

India had won 27 medals, including six gold, to finish overall third in the championships.