The International Testing Agency (ITA) confirmed on Friday 31 July 2026 that Saudi Arabian triathlete Abdulrahman Alghamdi has received a six-year period of ineligibility after testing positive for two prohibited substances, bringing to a close a case first reported by Gran Fondo Daily News in January.
The 38-year-old was provisionally suspended in January after a sample collected at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Friday 14 November 2025 tested positive for boldenone, an anabolic steroid that promotes muscle growth and speeds recovery, and CERA (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta), a long-acting form of EPO that boosts red blood cell production and endurance.
Both substances are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. The case was initially handled by the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association, which issued a sanctioning decision in March 2026 before referring the matter to World Triathlon and the ITA to determine the final sanction.
Alghamdi did not contest the anti-doping rule violation or request a hearing, allowing the ITA to issue its decision without a formal panel review. His ban was increased by two years beyond the standard four-year sanction because of aggravating circumstances arising from the use of multiple prohibited substances.
His period of ineligibility runs from 15 January 2026 through 14 January 2032, with all competitive results from 14 November 2025 onward disqualified.
Photo Credit: Kia Middle East and Africa
© 2026 Copyright Gran Fondo Daily News – All Rights Reserved