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Gudaf Tsegay Given Four-Month Ban After Positive Test for Letrozole

The Athletics Integrity Unit said she failed to request advance permission for a medically supported treatment, a lapse that removes her from the rest of the season and major meets.

World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 - Women's 10,000m Final - Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - September 13, 2025 Bronze medallist Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay reacts after the Women's 10,000m Final REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay after competing in the women's 5,000m heats during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 18, 2025
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Overview

  • The AIU imposed a four-month suspension that runs through September and effectively ends Tsegay’s 2026 season by ruling her out of Diamond League meetings and the Ultimate Championships in Budapest.
  • Tsegay tested positive for the aromatase inhibitor Letrozole last December and later supplied medical records showing a diagnosed condition for which the drug was used.
  • The AIU found she did not request a therapeutic use exemption before taking the medication and said she likely would have been granted one if it had been sought in advance.
  • Letrozole is prescribed for postmenopausal breast cancer and can counter steroid effects, and it has led to past bans in other sports, underscoring why it is on the prohibited list.
  • The case highlights that procedural failures to secure a TUE can lead to sanctions even when medical justification exists, and it leaves Tsegay — a two-time world champion and Olympic medallist — focusing on returning after the ban ends.