Rashid Ramzi banned 2 years by Bahrain, stripped of 1,500 Olympic gold for doping

Bahrain bans Olympian Ramzi 2 years for doping

MANAMA, Bahrain — Rashid Ramzi has been banned for two years by the Bahrain Athletics Association after being stripped of his 1,500-meter gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics for doping.

The Moroccan-born Ramzi was among five athletes who tested positive last April in retroactive tests for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The Bahrain association backdated Ramzi’s ban to May 3, 2009.

Ramzi was the only gold medalist from Beijing caught using performance-enhancing drugs. He had given Bahrain its first Olympic track-and-field gold medal by winning the 1,500, one of the most prestigious events in the sport.

Asbel Kipruto Kiprop of Kenya was upgraded from silver to gold in the 1,500.