PH cyclist Ariana Evangelista suspended after positive drug test in Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine cycling veteran Ariana Evangelista tested positive for a banned substance and “has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect” in the Asian Games, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said. 

Evangelista, who captured a silver in the women’s cross-country eliminator in the Southeast Asian Games last May, failed a drug test for the prohibited substance erythropoietin, a performance-enhancing drug.

In a statement dated October 4, the ITA said “two samples (blood and urine)” were collected “during an out-of-competition anti-doping control” in the Asian Games on September 24 in Hangzhou, China. 

The 27-year-old Evangelista competed the next day in the women’s cross-country Olympic mountain bike competition where she finished 13th.

“The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect. She has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample,” the ITA said.

PhilCycling calls the incident “unfortunate” as it involved one of its “finest riders in MTB (mountain bike).”

The national federation, in a statement on Thursday, October 5, said it “will always be in support of its athletes and on the same level promote with vigor fair play in our sport at all times while condemning the use of illegal substances/doping.”

Last Tuesday, October 3, the ITA said Saudi distance runner Mohammed Yousef Alasiri also got suspended after testing positive for the banned substance darbepoetin.

Afghan boxer Mohammad Khaibar Nooristani, the first doping case in this edition’s Asian Games, was also suspended last September 28. – Rappler.com