Uzbek boxing champion fails doping test
The International Testing Agency (ITA) has provisionally suspended 2024 Olympic champion Lazizbek Mullajonov after he tested positive for a banned substance. The 26-year-old Uzbek boxer failed a doping test conducted a month and a half ago.
A sample collected on June 11, during an out-of-competition period, tested positive for methasterone, a synthetic steroid known for promoting rapid muscle growth and strength.
The ITA has notified Mullajonov of the positive test result. He has the right to request an analysis of his B sample. If he does not request the follow-up test, the doping violation will be considered confirmed.
A provisional suspension is a standard procedure when an athlete tests positive, pending the outcome of the case. The ITA notes that Mullajonov also has the right to appeal the suspension and request that it be lifted.
Mullajonov won gold in the 92-kilogram weight category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating Loren Alfonso of Azerbaijan in the final. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships.
At the Paris Games, Uzbekistan’s men’s boxing team led the unofficial medal standings, claiming five out of seven possible gold medals.
This is the latest in a series of doping cases involving Uzbek athletes. On July 9, Uzbek UFC fighter Ramazonbek Temirov withdrew from a scheduled bout against Kazakhstani fighter Asu Almabayev after testing positive for a banned substance. Just days later, two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Ulugbek Rashitov was suspended for two years for violating anti-doping regulations.
