Aga banned for fake prescription from family member

Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga has been banned for six years after a positive test for a prohibited steroid and an attempt to explain it with a false prescription. The case matters because the extra penalty reflects findings that she misled investigators and tampered with evidence.

Aga tested positive for methylprednisolone after winning a half marathon in China in March, receiving a two-year ban for the substance. The Athletics Integrity Unit said the prescription she submitted for knee treatment came from a clinic that did not exist and a family member who was not a registered doctor; the named clinic also said the person had never worked there. A further four years were added, with the ban backdated to her provisional suspension on 10 September.