With Ruth Chepngetich's doping suspension here are top athletes who were banned for taking prohibited substances ft Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell

The track community is aghast following the news of Ruth Chepngetich being provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for using a banned substance. With the glorifying medals and the notable accolades, there is also a dark side of the athletics world affected by drug and banned substance usage.

The Kenyan athlete's doping case has caused a stir in the track and field community, as she tested positive for using the prohibited substance hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). The substance was detected in the runner's test on March 14, but she did not face any consequences at that moment; however, on April 19, Chepngetich opted for a provisional suspension amid the ongoing investigation of AIU.

After months of interrogation, AIU has now issued their own provisional suspension on the athlete on July 17, 2025. The organization revealed that this substance is used to treat fluid retention and hypertension, adding that this can also be used to hide the presence of other prohibited substances in urine.

It is a shock for the athletics community, as Ruth Chepngetich was one of the most formidable runners, as she broke the women's marathon world record in October 2024 by registering a time of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon. With this feat, she became the first woman to surpass the 2:10 barrier.

This isn't the first time a renowned athlete has been suspended for a doping violation; there have been several other top athletes who were banned for taking prohibited substances.

5 athletes who were banned for prohibited substances ahead of Ruth Chepngetich

While Ruth Chepngetich is currently in the spotlight for a doping violation, there are several athletes before her who shocked the track and field community by being suspended for taking banned substances. Here are some of them:

1. Justin Gatlin

Justin Gatlin is one of the renowned faces of the track and field community, havunf solidified his legacy in the sport by winning 5 Olympic medals and 10 World Championship medals. The American retired from the sport in February 2022. During the course of his career, along with accolades, he has also faced several doping bans.

The first ban for the sprinter was in 2001, when he faced a two-year ban after testing positive for amphetamines. His ban was later reduced to one year after making an appeal. This wasn't the end of the doping controversy in Gatlin's career, as he was again banned in 2006 for testing positive for testosterone. In this case, the sprinter was given an eight-year ban, which was later reduced to four years after appeal. He returned to the sport in 2010.

2. Asafa Powell

Asafa Powell is one of the top Jamaican sprinters who had set the 100m world record twice in three years during the course of his career. In June 2005, he broke the 100m world record by registering an impressive time of 9.77s, and three years later, in May 2008, he set a record of 9.74s. Along with this, he also bagged one Olympic gold medal and five World Championship medals in his career.

Apart from his track heroics, the sprinter was involved in a doping ban in 2013, which made him withdraw from the 2013 World Athletics Championships. Amid this row, the athlete claimed that he did not take the banned substance, oxilofrine, knowingly, as the legal substance that he took, Epiphany D1, was contaminated. The athlete was given a suspension of 18 months in April 2013; however, after an appeal, the CAS reduced their time to six months.

3. Tyson Gay

Another one of the formidable sprinters, Tyson Gay, was also charged with using a banned substance on June 23, 2013. He tested positive for consuming a banned anabolic steroid at the 2013 US Championships. Ideally, the ban to be imposed on him was of two years; however, the sprinter's honest cooperation with USADA reduced it to one year.

Amid this, the American also had to give away his silver medal, which he won in the US men's 4x100m relay race at the 2012 Olympics, as he admitted that he used the banned product on July 15, 2012, for the first time.

4. Ana Jose Tima

The Dominican Republic athlete and two-time Olympic triple jumper, Ana Jose Tima, was banned for three years by AIU in 2022 after she tested positive for the consumption of GW501516, which was illegal and was claimed to be used for muscle growth. She was initially banned for four years by the organization; however, after admitting the truth about the usage of the banned supplement, they reduced her ban by a year.

5. Christopher Taylor

The Jamaican sprinter Christopher Taylor was banned for 30 months by AIU, as the organization stated that the athlete failed to submit his sample for a doping test in Kingston, Jamaica. This violation resulted in his 30-month ban, which started in November 2022 and recently ended in May 2025.

This ban affected the Jamaican deeply, as it made him miss the 2024 Paris Olympics. Along with this, he also couldn't compete at the 2023 World Championships.