Indian Middle-Distance Runner Twinkle Chaudhary Receives Four-Year Doping Ban
A disciplinary tribunal of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has imposed a four-year ban on National Games gold-winning Indian middle-distance runner Twinkle Chaudhary. The 30-year-old athlete failed to provide sufficient evidence that her urine sample, which tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, was either contaminated or did not belong to her.
Details of the Doping Violation and Tribunal Decision
The tribunal's judgment stated: "A period of ineligibility of four years is imposed upon the Athlete, commencing on the date of this decision. The period of Provisional Suspension imposed on the Athlete from 24 June 2025 until the date of this decision is credited against the total period of Ineligibility. The period of Ineligibility will therefore end on 23 June 2029."
Chaudhary tested positive for Methyltestosterone, a prohibited performance-enhancing substance, after her sample was collected on May 30 last year during the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. At that competition, she finished fourth in the women's 800m event.
Athlete's Defense and Tribunal's Rejection
In her defense, Chaudhary denied committing anti-doping rule violations, suggesting that the sample might not have belonged to her or could have been tampered with during collection. The tribunal noted: "In response to the Notice of Allegation, dated 24 June 2025, the Athlete in her explanation on 2 September 2025 indicated that she denied committing the asserted ADRVs (Anti-doping Rule Violations) on the basis that the Sample may not have belonged to her or that it may have been tampered with or contaminated during collection."
However, the tribunal found her explanations insufficient. "The Athlete was unable to explain the presence of Methyltestosterone and its metabolites. Such tests as the Athlete was able to run on the supplements she had ingested, did not reveal the presence of Methyltestosterone," the judgment stated.
Chaudhary requested DNA testing to verify the sample's integrity, but the AIU refused. The tribunal dismissed this request, stating that the expensive procedure required strong justification, which she failed to provide despite offering to bear the cost.
Provisional Suspension and Khelo India University Games Incident
Chaudhary was provisionally suspended in May last year. The AIU had alleged that she breached this suspension by attending the Khelo India University Games in Rajasthan, where she was reportedly entered into competition and tested.
However, the tribunal absolved her of this charge after hearing her testimony. "She said that it was true she travelled a long distance from her home to attend this Event. However, she said she did so to meet a number of college friends who were attending the Event and not to compete," the judgment explained. The tribunal accepted her evidence, noting that as a 30-year-old, she was ineligible for the under-25 competition and did not know who entered her name.
Background and Testing Procedures
Prior to the Asian Athletics Championships, Chaudhary had achieved significant success at the National Games in Uttarakhand, winning multiple medals including a gold in the women's 4x400m relay. Her urine sample was analyzed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Seoul, South Korea, confirming the presence of the banned substance.
The tribunal emphasized that Chaudhary failed to discharge the burden of proof regarding unintentional doping. "We do not consider that the Athlete has discharged the burden on her to satisfy us that the doping was not 'intentional', and we are accordingly obliged to impose a four year suspension," it concluded.
This case highlights the strict anti-doping protocols in international athletics and the challenges athletes face in contesting positive test results through contamination claims or sample integrity disputes.
