Ulugbek Rashidov clarified his disqualification – what is the truth?

Two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Ulugbek Rashidov explained the reason for his two-year disqualification via his Instagram account.

“Assalamu alaykum, dear friends. Many of you may have already heard — I’ve been disqualified for two years. But I want to make it absolutely clear: this penalty was not because I took any banned substances, but because I failed to comply with location reporting rules,” the athlete wrote.

According to Rashidov, this situation was painful for him, but also became a valuable life lesson.

“We will come back stronger, inshallah. I am deeply grateful to everyone who believed in me and supported me,” he added.

He explained that every athlete must submit their daily whereabouts — where they sleep and travel — using a special application.

“In my case, it happened in November. They came at 6 in the morning. Although I had entered 9 PM in the system, I absolutely didn’t expect anyone to come at 6 AM. They didn’t even call — just sent me an SMS…,” Rashidov wrote.

After this, the athlete received an official letter informing him that a violation had occurred, and a disqualification was therefore imposed.

“The last time they came was April 22, and they took samples for doping control. They confirmed I was clean, but the decision still remained,” said the Olympic champion.

According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), the 23-year-old athlete failed to provide whereabouts information three times within 12 months. Such actions are considered anti-doping rule violations, as they prevent unannounced out-of-competition tests.

Rashidov’s disqualification starts on May 13, 2025 — from the date of his voluntary provisional suspension — and will last until May 12, 2027. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!