Blessing Solomon Banned for Three Years Over Doping

Blessing Solomon, a 28-year-old Nigerian long-distance runner, has received a three-year ban from athletics due to a failed drugs test. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed that Solomon tested positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance, during the Abuja Premium Trust Half Marathon on December 6, 2025.

The urine sample, collected during the race, was analyzed at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, with adverse findings reported on January 20. Solomon was notified of the charges and provisionally suspended on February 5, 2026.

The AIU classified her violation under rule 2.1 for the presence of a prohibited substance and rule 2.2 for attempting to use it. Solomon admitted to the violation, stating she was unaware of how trimetazidine entered her system.

She accepted the consequences, leading to a reduction of her potential four-year ban to three years, effective from February 5, 2026. Solomon will be ineligible to compete until February 2029, and her results from December 6, 2025, including titles and prizes, have been disqualified.