PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Surinamese sprint sensation Issamade Asinga must serve the full four-year doping ban handed down by World Athletics, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday rejected his appeal to overturn or reduce the suspension.
The 20-year-old, who stunned the world with a blistering 9.89 seconds in the men’s 100 meters at the 2023 South American Championships — setting both a World Under-20 record and a Suriname national record — saw his remarkable rise halted after testing positive for the banned endurance enhancer GW1516.
From record-breaker to suspension
Asinga was provisionally suspended in August 2023 by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), and following a full review, World Athletics confirmed his four-year ban on May 27, 2024. All competitive results achieved after July 18, 2023, were subsequently disqualified.
The ruling ensures that Asinga will remain ineligible to compete until 2027, effectively sidelining one of track and field’s most promising young sprinters during the prime of his early career.
Blame on contaminated gummies fails to convince CAS
Asinga had maintained his innocence throughout the process, claiming that the substance entered his system through Gatorade-branded products he received after being named the 2023 Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year in the United States.
According to Asinga, he consumed gummies included in a promotional package from Gatorade roughly a week before the doping test that led to his suspension. In 2024, he filed a lawsuit against the company, but a U.S. District Court dismissed the case in April 2025.
In its ruling, CAS found no sufficient evidence to support Asinga’s defense that the products were contaminated.
“After reviewing the evidence, the athlete has failed to demonstrate that it was more than likely that the gummies he had ingested before his anti-doping test were contaminated with GW1516,” the CAS panel stated.
“Therefore, a lesser penalty for no fault or negligence did not apply. The athlete also failed to demonstrate that his positive doping test was not intentional.”
Surinamese Federation expresses disappointment
Dennis Mac Donald, chairman of the Surinamese Athletics Federation (SAB), voiced his dismay at the ruling, describing it as a bitter outcome for both the athlete and the country.
“It is not pleasant news for the athlete and the federation. It’s a shame, but we have to move on. At least we had hoped for a reduction. We did not expect this,” Mac Donald said.
A brilliant rise halted
Before his suspension, Asinga had emerged as one of South America’s most electrifying sprint talents, his 9.89-second performance redefining regional standards and igniting global attention. Now, with his appeal denied and his record annulled, the young sprinter faces the difficult task of rebuilding his career and reputation once his ban expires in 2027.
