Tokyo Olympics: South African race walker, Swiss 400m hurder banned for doping

While Lebogang Shange was scheduled to compete in the 20km race on August 5, Kariem Hussein was in the entry list for 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics.

Two athletes have been barred from competing at Tokyo Olympics after confirmation of their doping ban.

South African race walker Lebogang Shange has been banned for four years for doping and will miss the Tokyo Olympics.

The former African champion was entered in the men’s 20-kilometer race on Aug. 5. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on the case in Tokyo.

The 30-year-old Shange tested positive for the anabolic steroid trenbolone and was provisionally suspended in December 2019. His ban will expire before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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The Swiss Olympic team, meanwhile, has confirmed that its 400-meter hurdler Kariem Hussein has accepted a nine-month ban after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

The 2014 European champion was entered in the event at the Tokyo Games. The heats start next Friday. It is unclear if Hussein will be replaced in the 40-athlete lineup.

The Swiss Olympic body’s tribunal backdated the ban by one week from the time Hussein was provisionally suspended. That suspension had not been disclosed.