Asian Games silver medallist Kartik Kumar fails dope test during US training stint

Long-distance runner Kartik Kumar, who clinched silver in the men’s 10,000m at the 2023 Asian Games, has failed a doping test while training at the high-altitude centre in Colorado Springs, USA, as per a report from Hindustan Times.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reportedly found banned steroids in Kartik’s system during two out-of-competition tests conducted in February and March. The 24-year-old has since been provisionally suspended and has returned to India.

Kartik had been training alongside fellow Army athlete Gulveer Singh, who has been setting new benchmarks in Indian distance running this season. The duo had shared the podium in Hangzhou, with Kartik clocking a personal best of 28:15.38 for silver and Gulveer clinching bronze at 28:17.21.

Since then, Kartik has improved his timing to 28:01.90 in a US-based event and recorded a personal best of 13:37.64 in the 5,000m. However, his recent performances this season were modest, including a 14:05.67 finish in the 5,000m and a 28:11.34 in the 10,000m at the Sound Running Track Fest on March 29.

In the same meet, Gulveer made headlines by smashing the national 10,000m record, finishing in a remarkable 27:00.22.

Earlier today, javelin thrower DP Manu was handed a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after testing positive for methyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid listed under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited substances. Manu’s ban has been backdated to June 24, 2024, and he will now remain out of action until June 24, 2028.