The International Testing Agency has announced that Kazakh track and field athlete Ayana Bolatbekkyzy has been provisionally suspended from competing at the Asian Games in Japan after her doping sample returned a positive result. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Drostanolone metabolite found in sample
The athlete's sample, collected on September 27 during in-competition testing in Nagoya, was found to contain a metabolite of drostanolone. This is a synthetic anabolic steroid that is fully prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) both in-competition and out-of-competition.
The decision took effect immediately. Until the official proceedings conclude, the 19-year-old runner is banned from competing, training, coaching, or taking any other part in the Games in Aichi and Nagoya.
Decision is preliminary
At this stage, the decision is preliminary. Bolatbekkyzy has the legal right to request the opening and analysis of the B sample, as well as to challenge the provisional suspension at the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD).
Toksanbayeva also lost Asian Games 2026 gold
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Kazakh athlete Yasmina Toksanbayeva lost her Asian Games 2026 gold in marathon race walking.
On September 27, Toksanbayeva was the first to complete the marathon race walking distance with a result of 3 hours 22 minutes 20 seconds. The Kazakh athlete finished almost four minutes ahead of her nearest rival and was initially declared the winner of the competition.
After the finish, technical delegates checked the footwear of the three medalists in the men's and women's events. It turned out that the model of Toksanbayeva's sneakers was not on the list approved by World Athletics. Photos of the footwear and the necessary information were sent to the international federation, and the award ceremony was postponed until an official conclusion was received.
World Athletics subsequently confirmed that the model used by the Kazakh athlete did not meet current requirements. According to the rules of the international federation, an athlete's result in such a case is declared invalid, after which the final competition protocol is adjusted.
When footwear requirements were updated
Competition footwear requirements were updated by a decision of the World Athletics Council dated March 19, 2026, and came into force on April 20. As clarified by the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, information about the changes was sent to all national federations.