Iraqi road cyclist Wehbi Abdullah, 22, competed at the 2026 UCI Asian Continental Championship while an undisclosed positive doping test result was already pending against him, according to an announcement by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Friday.
The ITA confirmed that a biological sample collected from Abdullah during the 2026 Tour of Sharjah on Tuesday 27 January returned a positive result for stanozolol — yet ten days later, on Thursday 06 February, results show the U23 rider lined up for the Asian Continental Championship Individual Time Trial in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia, finishing 10th and earning one UCI ranking point. Abdullah had not yet been notified of the alleged positive test result or the provisional suspension, meaning his participation was not in breach of any ruling at the time.
Nonetheless, news of the positive test will sit uneasily with those he finished ahead of. Whether that 10th place finish will survive the ITA results management proceedings remains an open question.
If ITA confirms a violation, it would typically trigger disqualification from all competitive results dating back to 27 January 2026.
Stanozolol is a synthetic anabolic steroid listed under S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids on the WADA Prohibited List, banned at all times and classified as a non-specified substance. It gained worldwide notoriety when sprinter Ben Johnson was stripped of his 1988 Olympic 100m gold medal after testing positive for the drug. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, a non-specified substance finding carries a standard four-year ban absent exceptional circumstances.
Abdullah has been one of Iraq’s most promising young road talents in recent seasons, with previous results including 3rd at the Arab Road Cycling Championship ITT in 2023. He retains the right to request B-sample analysis. Should that sample confirm the initial finding, the case proceeds as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation.
The ITA has indicated no further comment will be made while proceedings continue.
Photo Credit: Facebook/AsianCyclingConfederation
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