Olympic Refugee Athlete Suspended for EPO Doping Ahead of Paris 2024

The announcement was made this Wednesday by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Idbafdil, who admitted to using this banned substance, had tested positive in August, during his preparation for the World Championships in Budapest.

Idbafdil, aged 35, failed to make it through the heats of the 3,000 meter steeplechase at these championships. The discovery of his use of EPO, a doping product that increases the blood’s ability to transport oxygen, is a serious setback for his career.

The IOC had announced in December that Idbafdil was one of more than 50 refugee athletes receiving financial assistance in their host countries for the Paris Games. Originally from Morocco (Agadir), Idbafdil was thus part of a program initiated by the IOC, which had emerged during the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. Since then, the Olympic Refugee Team has grown, with the participation of 29 athletes at the Tokyo 2021 Games.