Indian 400m runner Deepanshi fails dope test, suspended

Another Indian runner has been caught by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) for a doping offence. India’s top 400m runner Deepanshi, was suspended by the NADA for returning a positive result for a doping offence during the National Inter-State Athletics Championships at Panchkula.

Deepanshi had won the silver medal in the 400m event, clocking 52.01 seconds. The 21-year-old runner finished behind Kiran Pahal, who finished the race in 50.92s.

The Haryana-based runner’s sample was taken on June 27 and the sample returned positive for anabolic steroids.

Deepanshi, who does not train at the national camp, was unavailable for a comment.

For the record, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has a policy, for the runners, to only pick athletes from the national camp as they are kept under close watch by the national body and it is also easy for out-of-competition testing.

However, in Deepanshi’s case, the runner’s inclusion is justified as she was the third fastest runner in the country, before the dope test.

This is the first doping positive case from the National Inter-State Championships. The Panchkula event was the final qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Haryana-based athlete was a national champion in the under 20 category in 2021. She grew up the ranks and finished third at the Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram in March last year, which was her best senior-level performance.

At the National Inter-State Athletics Championships, Deepanshi clocked 53.87s in the heats and then 52.12s in the semifinals before further improving her time to 52.01s in the final.