Ulugbek Rashidov disqualified from competitions until 2027 due to doping

Two-time Olympic champion and taekwondo athlete Ulugbek Rashidov, who has honorably represented Uzbekistan on the international stage, has become the center of discussions due to a controversial decision. According to an official statement from the International Testing Agency (ITA), the famous athlete has been disqualified from competitions for two years for violating anti-doping rules, reported ita.sport.

Reportedly, the 23-year-old athlete failed to provide whereabouts information three times in the past 12 months. This is considered a serious violation in the anti-doping system, as such information is used to conduct the most effective form of doping control — out-of-competition testing.

According to ITA, Ulugbek Rashidov did not dispute the violation and accepted the sanction proposed by the agency. Therefore, the case was concluded under the "acceptance of consequences" procedure.

Thus, his disqualification period begins on May 13, 2025, and will last until May 12, 2027. Additionally, all results from individual competitions that he participated in between February 3, 2025, and the start of the disqualification will be annulled.

For reference: the athlete was listed in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) program. This system requires top-level athletes to report their daily whereabouts. During the specified 60-minute time slot, they can be subjected to surprise doping tests.

There is still an opportunity to appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Given that such situations affect not only the athlete's personal career but also the country's sports image, this should be an important lesson for every athlete.

Throughout his career, Ulugbek Rashidov has proudly represented our country not only in the Olympics but also in World and Asian championships. However, this issue has overshadowed his great achievements.

He may return to sports in the future. But for now, the most important task is to restore trust and strictly follow the system’s requirements. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!