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Yesterday, it was reported that three Kenyans a Ukrainian and a Spaniard were suspended for doping or whereabouts failures. The latter, Mohamed Katir who was already serving a two-year suspension, had his ban doubled for tampering. Missed in the cacophony of doping cases was South Sudanese athlete Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, who was granted the grace of being a member of the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team (ART). She also tested positive and received a ban.
Lohalith was tested at the 2024 Belgrade World Cross Country Championships in March. She tested positive for trimetazidine.
The 29-year-old produced medical documents from Kenya, the hotbed of third-world doping.
Her list of excuses was long including not feeling well during the prior six months and that she had an argument with an athlete in Belgrade, therefore she may have been sabotaged. Lohalith said that none of her medications contained trimetazidine, however, outpatient records from the Medix Pharmacy that she visited and was treated at indeed contained trimetazidine.
The athlete is now banned for three years as she eventually relented and admitted fault.
She has personal bests of 15:33.85 in the 5000m, and 4:23.84 in the 1500m.
Trimetazidine is a drug used to treat angina and other heart conditions. It’s also used to treat vertigo, tinnitus, and visual disturbances caused by blood vessel problems.
