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≡ THE AIU SANCTIONS REPORT ≡
The books are closed on 2025, and the Athletics Integrity Unit, the cheating, doping and malevolence watchdog for track & field, posted its year-end list of ineligibles.
The list runs for 29 pages of small type, with a total of 683 entries. The usual suspects were at the top of the list once again:
● 140: Kenya (20.5% of the total)
● 137: India (20.0%)
● 75: Russia (11.0%)
● 31: China
● 21: South Africa
● 19: Turkey
● 17: Ethiopia
● 17: Ukraine
● 15: Italy
● 15: United States
● 13: Kuwait
● 13: Morocco
● 11: France
● 11: Nigeria
So the top three countries in terms of entries constitute 51.5% of the entire list! For comparison, here are the top 10 at the end of 2024:
● 119: Kenya
● 108: India
● 73: Russia
● 26: China
● 20: Turkey
● 18: Italy
● 18: South Africa
● 17: Ukraine
● 16: United States
● 15: Morocco
Looking back a little further, to the end of 2022 (2023 not available) and Kenya and India have been skyrocketing in terms of sanctions, while Russia has calmed:
Kenya:
● 2025: 140 (+21)
● 2024: 119 (+65)
● 2022: 54
India:
● 2025: 137 (+29)
● 2024: 108 (+43)
● 2022: 65
Russia:
● 2025: 75 (+2)
● 2024: 73 (-19)
● 2022: 92
The Kenyan government promised a five-year, $25 million funding boost against doping in 2022 and while the rise from 2022 to 2024 can point to better enforcement and testing, at least the net sanctions total has been substantially reduced from 2024 to 2025. Further, in 2025 alone, there were eight infractions listed, way down from 34 in 2024!
To place this in context, AIU chief executive Brett Clothier (AUS) told the BBC in mid-2023:
“Everyone has to be prepared because there are going to be a lot more doping cases in Kenya in the next few months and years.
“I’m trying to tell everyone: ‘Don’t be surprised. Don’t be shocked’. This is what needs to happen to get this under control. It’s now or never.”
He looks like a prophet now, but the added funding also runs out in 2027. What then?
India 13 infractions listed in 2025 and Russia had just four. These are improvements and bear close watching for 2026.
¶
The U.S. had no infractions dated to 2025 tests, but 200 m star Erriyon Knighton lost his eligibility until July 2029 when an appeal of his 2024 positive by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the AIU was upheld at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
¶
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