Two-time Olympic champion Ulugbek Rashidov banned for doping violation

Two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Ulugbek Rashidov of Uzbekistan has been banned from competition for two years due to a violation of anti-doping regulations. The decision was announced by the International Testing Agency (ITA).

According to the ITA, Rashidov committed three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. This constitutes a violation under anti-doping rules, as it is equivalent to an athlete refusing to undergo a doping test.

His suspension will run from May 13, 2025, to May 12, 2027. All personal results achieved by the athlete since February 3, 2025, have been annulled. Rashidov has accepted the sanctions and agreed to the suspension.

For reference, Ulugbek Rashidov is a two-time Olympic champion, having won gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. He also claimed titles at the 2022 Asian Games and the Asian Championships, and is a World Championship medalist in the -68 kg weight category. Rashidov remains the only Olympic gold medalist in the history of Uzbek taekwondo and the only male athlete in the sport’s history to win two Olympic gold medals.