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Botswana’s Nijel Amos, an 800-metre runner, is currently suspended for doping. The Athletics Integrity Unit banned him for testing positive for GW1516, which is a cancer-causing selective androgen receptor modulator or “SARM” for short. He received a one-year reduction on the standard four-year ban for admitting to the charges. Amos is now working on a comeback for 2025.
The 30-year-old took silver at the 2012 London Olympic Games and set a personal best of 1:41.73, the national and U20 world record — pre-super shoes. Amos won at least 16 Diamond League meets and 2014 Commonwealth gold. But, during his comeback, will any of his performances be believable? Do the fans want to watch him race today’s current fastest athletes?
“I am coming back to improve my times, to improve my 400m times and my 800m times. I’m looking at both events but mostly, my focus is on the 800m. The king has been in exile, I need to come back and get my chair, you know, I need to come and get my throne,” shared Amos in an interview at “Punchline Podcast with Lawrence Seretse.”
Even with the advent of super spikes, how the drug cheat is going to improve on his best performance while training and racing clean is a mystery.
SARMs have similar properties to anabolic steroids. To date, all SARMs are for investigational purposes only.
All SARMs are prohibited at all times (both in and out of competition) for all athletes, from those competing at the highest level of sport to those competing at the recreational level. SARMs are listed in the category of “Other Anabolic Agents” under section S1.2 of the WADA Prohibited List.
Examples of SARMs include: ostarine (Enobosarm, MK 2866), andarine, LGD-4033 (ligandrol), and RAD140.[3] SARMs have the potential to be misused for performance enhancement in sports due to their anabolic properties. Also their ability to stimulate androgen receptors in muscle and bone, leading to bone and muscle growth.
The current world record is held by Kenyan David Rudisha at 1:41.01. Amos’s best is the 20th fastest performance in history. Only nine athletes have run faster including the currently active Emmanuel Wanyonyo of Kenya with three performances topped by a 1:41.11, Marco Aarop of Canada with his 1:40.20 and Algerian Djamel Sedjati who has clocked a 1:41.56 best. Gabriel Trual and Bryce Hoppel have also run faster at 1:41.61 and 1:41.67. All of these current times were set during 2024 — a total of 11 of the 20 fastest in history.
