Share

Ex-Olympic champion Cakir banned for life - report

Istanbul - Turkey's athletics federation has banned the disgraced former 2012 Olympic 1500m champion Asli Cakir Alptekin for life over a third doping offence, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Friday.

Cakir Alptekin was in 2015 stripped of both her Olympic and European 1500m titles and received an eight-year ban for anomalies in her biological passport.

However this was later reduced to four years and she was eligible to compete again from this year as the start date of the ban was backdated to 2013.

She took part in the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country event in Portugal in February, finishing in 11th place and helping her Istanbul team Uskudar Belediyespor win the title.

Cakir Alptekin previously served a two-year ban for a positive test at the 2004 world junior championships.

Anadolu said the latest violation was her third doping offence but did not give details of its nature.

"We are never, ever going to allow doping. And everyone must know that," Turkey athletics federation chief Fatih Cintimar told the news agency.

Turkey's athletics performances have long been shadowed by doping.

Ethiopian-born Turkish long distance runner Elvan Abeylegesse was banned in 2016 for two years for doping, while sprint hurdler Nevin Yanit was banned for three years in 2013.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE