Anti-doping agencies demonstrate the seriousness of doping, WADA and AIU reach back to name cheaters

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continue to demonstrate that pursuing cheaters is a focus, and the long arm of the law is continuously and actively pursuing the dopers.

Varsha Tekam

On Monday, the AIU revisited the case of Indian long-distance runner Varsha Tekam. In June 2025, she was suspended for three years for evading doping control officers after finishing third in the Pune Half Marathon in December 2024.

According to the AIU, she was notified and kept under observation, but disappeared into a crowd. Her name was announced several times; however, she did not show up.

The hotel that the 25-year-old athlete was staying at was contacted, to no avail.

To highlight the importance of showing up, the AIU

Her ban period began on May 20, the date of the provisional suspension and her results from December 15, 2024, onwards are disqualified.

The Russians

While the Russian Athletics Federation continue to try to make a case for their return, the evidence of doping from the world’s largest country mounts. On Saturday, it was announced that the final batch of 12 athletes had been retroactively banned for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

It closed the books on an exhaustive, 10-year investigation of the Moscow-based Laboratory Information Management System by WADA.

The athletes