National Inter-State Championships: 400m runner Deepanshi fails dope test, suspended by NADA

This was the first dope-positive case from the National Inter-State Championships, which was the final qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.

FILE PHOTO: The 21-year-old Deepanshi had clocked 52.01 seconds to finish second behind Kiran Pahal (50.92) in the women’s 400m final in the National Inter-State Championships in Panchkula. | Photo Credit: AM FARUQUI/The Hindu

NADA has suspended India’s top woman 400m runner Deepanshi for flunking her dope test during the recent National Inter-State Championships, where she won a silver medal.

The 21-year-old Deepanshi had clocked 52.01 seconds to finish second behind Kiran Pahal (50.92) in the women’s 400m final in Panchkula on Friday.

The in-competition dope sample, which was taken on June 27 (either after heat race or semifinal), contained anabolic steroids.

This was the first dope-positive case from the National Inter-State Championships (June 27-30), which was the final qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.

Deepanshi does not train at National camp.

Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) declared policy (for the national relay team) has been to pick only campers because they can be kept under close watch by the national body.

The case of Deepanshi might have justified the policy as she was the third fastest woman quarter-miler of the country before her dope flunk.

The rising Haryana athlete was a national U20 champion in 2021 but her best finish at the senior level was the third position at the Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram in March last year.

At the National Inter-State, she clocked 53.87 in the heats and then 52.12 in semifinals before further improving her time to 52.01 in the final.