Indian Hammer Thrower Rachna Kumari Banned For 12 Years For Doping

Top Indian hammer thrower Rachna Kumari was on Tuesday banned for 12 years for failing multiple dope tests by the international federation's Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), essentially ending her career.

The 30-year-old Kumari's dope sample, taken out-of-competition by the AIU last year, was found to contain steroids Stanozolol, Metandienone and Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT), Clenbuterol. "The AIU has banned Kumari (K.M.) Rachna (India) for 12 years from 24 November, 2023 for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Stanozolol, Metandienone, DHCMT, Clenbuterol). DQ results from 24 September 2023," the AIU said in a tweet.

"...and disqualification of the Athlete's results on and since 24 September 2023, with all resulting Consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points prizes and appearance money." This was Kumari's second Anti-Doping Rule Violation. She had served a four year ban from March 18, 2015 to March 17, 2019 for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation in relation to the presence of Metenolone in a sample collected on February 10, 2015.

Her two urine samples taken out of competition in Patiala by the AIU on September 24 last year tested positive for anabolic androgenic steroids.

The AUI explained that two urine samples were collected because the first one did not have a suitable specific gravity for analysis as defined in the 2023 WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations.