Ruti Aga, a 32-year-old Ethiopian marathoner ranked 11th in the world, has been banned for six years after testing positive for methylprednisolone, a prohibited substance, following her win at the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon on March 15.
Aga told investigators in April that she received the medication in Ethiopia to treat knee pain. She provided a prescription in May. However, the Athletics Integrity Unit determined the prescription was forged. The person who signed it was a family member, not a registered physician. The family member told investigators they had worked at the clinic and written the prescription on old clinic stationery. The clinic listed on the prescription did not exist.
The AIU, with support from the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority, cited two violations. Aga received a two-year ban for the prohibited-substance violation and an additional four-year ban for tampering with evidence.
Aga had been provisionally suspended since September. Her record includes the 2019 Tokyo Marathon title, six top-three finishes at World Marathon Majors, and a 2:18:09 personal best. She had won the previous two editions of the Xiamon Marathon.
Brett Clothier, the AIU chief executive, stated: "Investigations are vital to uncovering doping and exposing false explanations. Protecting clean competition takes resources, but this case sends a clear message: attempts to cheat will be exposed."