400m Runner Nirmala Sheoran banned for four years for doping

Indian sprinter Nirmala Sheoran has been banned for four years for doping violation and is stripped of gold medals won in the 400 meters and 4×400 meters relay at the 2017 Asian Championships held in India.

Sheoran, 24, was tested positive for the steroids drostanolone and metenolone at a competition in India in June 2018 and athlete accepted the charges.

Nirmala, whose biological passport also showed irregular blood readings, “accepted the charge, did not request a hearing and was ready to accept the consequences,” the The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said.

The 24-year-old Nirmla’s ban was backdated to take effect on 29 June 2018. Her results from August 2016 to November 2018 were disqualified.

On 29 June 2018, Sheoran underwent an in-competition doping control at the ‘58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships’ held in Guwahati, India.

The athlete provided a urine sample which had traces of drostanolone and metenolone, prohibited Substances under the WADA 2018 Prohibited List.

Nirmala had won gold medals in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay at the 2017 Asian Championships held in India. She ran in both events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was eliminated in the heats.