African champion Tsegu suspended for positive doping test

Published Oct. 18, 2019 7:40 a.m. ET

MONACO (AP) — The 10,000-meter champion at the African Games has been provisionally suspended in a doping case.

The Athletics Integrity Unit says Berehanu Tsegu of Ethiopia was notified that he is being investigated after testing positive for EPO, a banned endurance-boosting hormone.

Tsegu was 19 in August when he won the African Games title in Morocco. He placed third at the Copenhagen half marathon last month when a world record was set by Kenyan runner Geoffrey Kamworor.

The sport's governing body currently ranks Tsegu at No. 5 in the world in road running and No. 19 in the 10,000.