The Swiss Kariem Hussein, 2014 European champion in the 400m hurdles, will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics. He was suspended nine months after testing positive for a banned substance.
2014 European champion in the 400m hurdles, Kariem Hussein (32) will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics. The Disciplinary Chamber of the Swiss Olympic Committee has indeed suspended him for nine months, after the athlete tested positive for a prohibited substance (nicethamide and the metabolite N-ethylnicotinamide) during the Swiss championships.
This is very regrettable as it was an innocent mistake that anybody could make. Stopping him from going to Tokyo will have a very negative affect on his future career possibly or hopefully he can bounce back. The kid took some lozenge sweets, which are common over the counter suites in any store in Switzerland and other places. This suspension I believe is unduly harsh and not merited. He gained no advantage by taking lozenges.
Hussein accepted his sanction and regrets his mistake of ingesting a Gly-Coramin tablet, believing that the stimulant - nicethamide - was allowed not only in training but also in competition.
“On June 26, after the final of the Swiss championships, I felt a lack of sugar. Carelessly, in the presence of other people and doping controlers, knowing that I was going to be tested an hour later, I took a lozenge of Gly-Coramin, explained the Zurich resident in a video. I emphasize that I took this after my race and before my doping control. "The fact that the athlete accepts his suspension and takes responsibility for his offense deserves the respect of Swiss Olympic," says the Swiss Olympic Committee. The offense and the resulting suspension are a warning to all sportsmen and women: caution is never too great when it comes to dietary supplements. "
Editor's Note: Reuters article here: