Paris Olympics sees first athlete record positive doping test at Games ahead of opening ceremony
The Paris 2024 Olympics has recorded its first positive doping test, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has confirmed.
Sajjad Sehen, an Iraqi judoka, tested positive for anabolic steroids metandienone and boldenone during out-of-competition anti-doping control in Paris on July 23.
Both of those drugs are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Sehen was scheduled to take part in the men’s 81kg class beginning on Tuesday.
While he has the right to request the analysis of his B sample, Sehen now won't be eligible to compete in the competition.
An read: "The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
READ MORE ON OLYMPICS
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”
It added: “The athlete has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport – Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD).
"The athlete also has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.
"Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding."
Most read in Olympics
The positive test came just hours before the Paris 2024 Olympic ceremony was due to kick off in the French capital.
The ceremony marks the official start of the competition that runs from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11.
But Sehen won't be showcasing his talent in what would have been his first Games.
The 28-year-old is a two-time World Cup bronze medallist in the 81kg category.
That is in addition to the bronze he claimed at the Arab Games in Algeria last year.
Sehen also competed at the World Championships in Baku in 2018 in the 73kg category.
However he lost in the first round of the tournament to eventual 2024 world champion Hidayet Heydarov from Azerbaijan.
talkSPORT brings you live coverage of the Paris Olympics this summer, with Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes among our legendary line-up of pundits. Listen to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, via the app, or through your smart speaker. And follow our live blog for all the latest news.