Ulugbek Rashidov comments on two-year disqualification (video)

Two-time Olympic champion Ulugbek Rashidov has addressed his recent disqualification from international competitions, which will last from May 13, 2025, to May 12, 2027. He shared a personal statement on his social media page following the official announcement.

“Assalamu alaykum, dear friends. As many of you have probably heard, I have been disqualified for two years. But I want to make one thing clear: this disqualification was not due to the use of prohibited substances, but for failing to comply with location reporting rules. It was a difficult but valuable experience. God willing, we will come back stronger. I’m endlessly grateful to everyone who believed in and supported me,” Rashidov said.

Rashidov explained that professional athletes are required to update their daily whereabouts—where they stay and travel—on a dedicated electronic platform to comply with anti-doping regulations.

“In my case, the testers came at 6:00 a.m. This was in November. I had entered 21:00 as my designated testing time in the system, and I didn’t expect anyone to arrive outside that window. They didn’t call—they just sent an SMS,” he said.

Subsequently, Rashidov received an official notice stating that the incident constituted a violation of anti-doping rules and that he would be suspended.

He also noted that the most recent doping sample was collected from him on April 22, and it showed no banned substances in his system. Nevertheless, the disqualification was imposed based on procedural grounds.

According to the International Testing Agency (ITA), the 23-year-old athlete failed to provide accurate or updated information about his location on three occasions within a 12-month period. Such violations fall under anti-doping rules because they hinder the ability to conduct unannounced tests.