Kipyegon's closest competitor Welteji's Tokyo hopes hanging in the balance
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 11.09.25. | 15:46
Welteji is entered in the women’s 1500m, the heats of which are on Saturday, 13 September 2025
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) a decision by Ethiopian officials to clear 1500m runner Diribe Welteji of the failure to submit a drug test.
Welteji, a world silver medalist in Budapest, 2023 and world road mile champion in Riga, is in danger of missing this week's World Championships in Tokyo due to this anti-doping dispute.
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The 23-year-old, who finished behind Faith Kipyegon in the world 1500m final two years ago, was cleared by the Ethiopian anti-doping authority last month.
As part of the appeal, the AIU has requested provisional measures from CAS declaring the athlete ineligible to compete pending the outcome of the appeal.
That application will be heard by the CAS Division President, who will determine whether Welteji may compete at the forthcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
Welteji is entered in the women’s 1500m, the heats of which are on Saturday, 13 September 2025.
CAS will decide before Saturday if she can compete in the women’s 1500m at the Tokyo World Championships.
The AIU said in a statement: "The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the decision of a national hearing panel of the Ethiopian Anti-Doping Authority, dated 27 August 2025, to clear athlete, Diribe Welteji, of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation for a breach of article 2.3 of the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Office Rules (Refusal or Failure to submit to Sample Collection).
The AIU obtained the case file from the Ethiopian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 1 September 2025 and, following review, filed its appeal with CAS on 8 September 2025.
As part of the appeal, the AIU has requested provisional measures from CAS declaring the athlete ineligible to compete pending the outcome of the appeal."
In the absence of Gudaf Tsegay, who has elected to compete in the 5000m and 10,000m, the World Road Running Champion from Riga should carry the hopes of the Eastern African nation.
When Kipyegon set her world record in Eugene, the 22-year-old finished second in a personal best of 3:51.44, which places her eighth on the all-time list.
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