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Iraqi athlete first Olympian to run afoul of anti-doping rule

July 27, 2024 | | Print Article

The Olympic Games may have only just kicked off, but one competitor was already thrown out after an apparent anti-doping rule violation.

While the host city faced backlash for the display of outright anti-Christian imagery during the opening ceremony in Paris, France, one visitor’s trip was cut short after a test came back positive for anabolic steroids. Sajjad Ghanim Sehen Sehen, a 28-year-old judoka from Iraq became the first player provisionally suspended as the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) International Testing Agency (ITA) touted their sweeping efforts at “#KeepingSportReal.”

According to a release from the ITA, “a sample collected from judoka Sajjad Ghanim Sehen Sehen has returned an adverse analytical finding for the non-specified prohibited substances metadienone and boldenone,” each on the “prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).”

“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games,” the release went on while specifying, “The athlete has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport — Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD)” and “has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.”

Prior to the findings on Sehen, who was slated to compete against Sharofiddin Boltabev of Uzbekistan in the 81kg Judo elimination round of 32 Tuesday, the ITA had reported that 88% of athletes participating in the Olympics had been tested at least once since the year had begun, with 95% of athletes in “high-risk disciplines” having been tested at least once.

“These numbers underline the motivation and willingness of anti-doping organisations across the globe to contribute to the common goal of fair play at the Olympic Games,” the ITA statement read. “The ITA will now adapt as need be its testing strategy during the Games including the outcomes of the pre-Games program to continue to avoid any testing gaps.

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Sehen represented one of only a handful of Iraqi athletes competing in the Olympics as, in addition to the soccer team, the nation had Hasan Al-Zinkee swimming, Taha Hussein Yaseen sprinting, and Ali Rubaiawi weightlifting, who had the honor of bearing the flag during the opening ceremony.

As had been noted earlier, that ceremony’s inclusion of mockery of The Last Supper with drag queens mingling with children in addition to a golden calf and bearded men performing bawdy dances had inspired many to voice opposition to support of the games from the word go with comments like, “I’m boycotting this evil sh*t!”

While it remained to be seen if other athletes had or would test positive for any illegal substances as the games commenced, the Associated Press indicated that prior to the delayed Tokyo Games, six athletes had been discovered out of some 6,200 samples taken.

Kevin Haggerty
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