Athletics
WORLD 100M CHAMPION COLEMAN BANNED FOR TWO YEARS!
World champion sprinter Christian Coleman has been banned for two years for anti-doping offences, ruling him out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The American missed tests on January 16 and December 9 of last year, and was also charged with a filing error in connection with an attempted test on April 26.
Missing three tests in a12-month period results in an anti-doping rule violation and a two-year suspension if it is the athlete’s first offence.
Coleman accepted the first missed test but challenged the other two rulings, however the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Disciplinary Tribunal did not find in his favour.
As a result, the world 100 meters champion has been banned for two years and is ineligible to race until 13 May 2022.
The 24-year-old, who also won 4x100m relay gold with the United States team at the 219 World Athletics Championships, would have been the favourite to be crowned the world’s fastest man at next year’s Olympics.
Instead he will miss Tokyo 2020 in another blow for the sport.
The filing failure related to Coleman being in Iowa for the Drake Relays when he was contacted several hours before the 60-minute window for the day by a doping control officer (DCO), when he had said on the whereabouts system he would be in Kentucky.
Coleman asked if he could be tested in Iowa, which he could not, and then attempted to change his whereabouts information to Iowa after the conversation.
It was argued on Coleman’s behalf that there was no filing failure as his whereabouts information was updated before the allocated 60-minute period, but the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal rejected this defence, emphasising that details should be updated “as soon as possible after the circumstances change, and in any event prior to the 60-minute time slot”.
As Coleman had flown to Iowa two days before, the details had not been updated “as soon as possible”, and it was also found that the updated whereabouts information related to a time which had already passed.
For the December missed test, Coleman was out Christmas shopping at the time when he had said he would be available for sample collection at his Lexington home.
Coleman argued that he returned home inside the 60-minute window, which lasted from 7:15pm to 8:15pm, and that the DCOs must have left early.
The DCOs testified this was not the case, providing a photo taken at 8:21pm, while shopping receipts also cast doubt on Coleman’s claim.
A Walmart receipt showed he had purchased 16 items at 8:22pm.
Coleman claimed he returned home, watched the start of a National Football League game – which kicked off at 8:15pm – and must have then left his home again.
The Disciplinary Tribunal deemed it was “obvious” that the sprinter in fact did not come home until after that Walmart trip, given other shopping receipts were time-stamped at 7:13pm and 7:53pm.
In rendering a two-year ban, the Disciplinary Tribunal described Coleman’s behaviour as “very careless at best and reckless at worst” and viewed there to be no mitigating factors which could have reduced the ban.
The decision could yet be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Coleman previously escaped punishment after missing tests on June 6 2018 and January 16 and April 26 of 2019, successfully arguing that the 2018 case, a filing error, should be pushed back to the first day of the quarter, April 1, and subsequently out of the year-long window.
That allowed him to compete at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, where he won two gold medals.
Coleman won two silver medals at the 2017 World Championships, also in the 100m and 4x100m relay.
He did compete at Rio 2016, but only in the relay heats and was a spectator when the United States were disqualified in the final.
.-insidethegames
The Future Olympian Athletics Classic has been rescheduled from the first quarter of 2026 to the last quarter of the year, as organisers move to transform the meet into a truly national developmental programme spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a statement signed by Bruce Ijirigho, a former quarter-miler and Team Nigeria captain to the 1976 Summer Olympics, the postponement was described as a strategic decision aimed at broadening participation and ensuring that young talents across the country are discovered and nurtured systematically.
The competition is being organised by the Youth Sports Renaissance Foundation (YSRF), a non-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission by Ijirigho, Godwin Obasogie and Charlton Ehizuelen. The foundation’s primary objective is to revive athletics, particularly at the secondary school level, and rebuild Nigeria’s once-thriving grassroots sports culture.
Ijirigho, who serves as Project Lead, explained that the initiative is not about creating something entirely new but about restoring a proven system that once produced champions.
“This competition is not about reinventing the wheel,” he said. “It is about bringing back the culture that ensured that my contemporaries and I were discovered early in secondary school, received the right coaching and academic support, and went on to earn scholarships while combining sports with education. Many of us later became national, continental and global champions.”
He identified early exposure and modern, age-appropriate coaching as the missing links in youth development across Nigeria and much of Africa.
“The bane of sports in Nigeria and many African countries is that our youth don’t get opportunities early enough and lack modern coaching techniques that accelerate their development,” Ijirigho stated.
According to him, the Future Olympian Athletics Classic will go beyond competition by incorporating international coaching clinics designed to transfer contemporary skills and knowledge to Games masters and grassroots coaches nationwide.
“The Classic will not only discover talents in their early teens but also upgrade the capacity of our coaches. That way, we will nurture them properly to become Olympians and world beaters in their late teens and early twenties. This programme is strictly for high school students because it is developmental.”
The decision to expand the event to all six geopolitical zones, he noted, reflects a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
“Talents abound in every nook and cranny of the country. There are middle- and long-distance runners, sprinters, quarter-milers, jumpers and hurdlers who were either not discovered at all or discovered too late. With this postponement, we can widen the tent and give every Nigerian child a fair chance.”
Ijirigho expressed confidence that with proper planning and sustained grassroots investment, Nigeria can reclaim its place at the summit of global athletics.
“We have what it takes to dominate athletics worldwide. All we need is to get our development programme right. The Future Olympian Athletics Classic will lay that foundation for our youth and for the country when it begins in the last quarter of 2026.”
With its expanded national scope and emphasis on structured youth development, the initiative signals a renewed push to reposition Nigerian athletics for long-term global success.
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Kenya’s Ezra Kipchumba Kering delivered a commanding Valentine’s Day performance to win the 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Saturday.
Kipchumba surged to the finish line at Eko Atlantic City in an impressive time of 2:11:55, clinching the $50,000 winner’s prize in one of Africa’s most prestigious road races. His decisive kick in the closing stages sealed a memorable triumph in a fiercely contested men’s elite race.
Uganda completed a strong showing on the podium, with Lomoi Samuel finishing just four seconds behind the winner in 2:11:59, while compatriot Namutala Kephar Lumbasi secured third place in 2:12:25 to underline East Africa’s dominance in the men’s event.
The Gold Label marathon, organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited under the leadership of Managing Director Mrs Yetunde Olopade, once again lived up to its billing as a premier long-distance spectacle, attracting top-tier athletes from across the continent and beyond.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Dinke Meseret Meleka claimed top honours, crossing the line in 2:37:36 after a determined run. Kenya’s Daniel Flomena Cheyech followed closely in 2:37:43, while Ethiopia’s Getaw Wgagen Zewdalem finished third in 2:38:59 to complete a tightly fought podium finish.
With another thrilling chapter added to its history, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon reaffirmed its growing stature as a leading destination for elite runners and a major highlight on Africa’s athletics calendar.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The organisers of the gold-labelled Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have described Saturday’s 11th edition as an iconic milestone that ushers in a new decade for one of Africa’s most prestigious road races.
Speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of Access Bank in Lagos, the Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, said the 2026 edition represents growth, resilience and renewed ambition for the marathon.
“This 11th edition is symbolic for us. It is not just another race; it signals the beginning of another decade of excellence, impact and global recognition for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon,” Olopade said.
She expressed appreciation to Access Bank, corporate sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their unwavering support and commitment to the annual event.
“We are deeply grateful to Access Bank, our valued sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their consistency and belief in this vision. Together, we have built one of the most revered road races in Africa, and this year’s event will be nothing short of world-class,” she added.
Olopade assured runners, partners and spectators of a top-quality race that would further consolidate the marathon’s international standing and enhance its global profile.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, commended the organisers for their professionalism and dedication, noting that the marathon has continued to elevate Lagos’ image globally.
“The Lagos State Government remains fully committed to supporting the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon because it continues to put Lagos on the global map in a positive light,” Fatodu said.
“This race is more than a sporting event; it is a celebration of our culture, resilience and capacity to host world-class events. We will continue to provide the enabling environment for it to thrive.”
Adding his voice, Dr Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultra Runners, described the marathon’s evolution over the years as remarkable.
“The progression I have seen at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is truly phenomenal. Year after year, the race keeps improving in standards, organisation and global appeal,” Khan said.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract elite athletes from across the world, further reinforcing the marathon’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading road races and a flagship sporting event for Nigeria.
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