World 1,500m silver medalist Diribe Welteji might be banned from competing in Tokyo

Ethiopian middle-distance runner Diribe Welteji could be banned from the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) requested her provisional suspension while a doping case is heard.

The 23-year-old athlete, who won silver in the 1,500m at the last World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary two years ago, was acquitted of a charge of failing to provide or refusing to provide a doping sample by the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Agency in late August.

The AIU has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and said it has asked that Diribe Welteji be suspended from competing until the matter is resolved.

The request for provisional suspension will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport before Saturday, when Diribe Welteji is scheduled to compete in the women’s 1,500m qualifying heats at the National Stadium in Tokyo.