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Luvo Manyonga (Getty Images)
South African Silver medalist in Olympic long jump Luvo Manyonga he was temporarily banned because he did not notify the anti-doping authorities about his location, the Athletic Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday.
Manyonga, who also celebrated her 30th birthday on Friday, finished second at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He now faces the prospect of losing the Tokyo Games rescheduled for later this year.
“The AIU has accused Luvo Manyonga of South Africa of failing where he is, a violation of the @WorldAthletics Anti-Doping Rules. The long-term jumper has been temporarily suspended,” the body wrote on Twitter.
In 2012, Manyonga, the 2017 world champion and 2018 Commonwealth champion, was banned for 18 months after testing positive for recreational methamphetamine.
In December, he told the Sunday Times in his home country that he was clean after a long battle with drug addiction, but did not train after a public plea by his sister a week earlier to return to rehab.
In May last year, Manyonga was fined for public drinking and violating strict restrictions in South Africa.
Manyonga is the fourth world athletics champion of 2017 banned for a localization offense. Follows Kenyan middle distance runner Elijah Manangoi, Bahá’í Salwa Eid Naser and American sprinter Christian Coleman,
Coleman, the 100-meter world champion last year, has called for a ban in his bid to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
Naser, the 2019 women’s 400m world champion, was allowed to compete, but in November, World Athletics appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision.
Later on Friday, AIU said Kenyan Olympic 800-meter finalists Alfred Kipketer had been banned for two years, dating from November 2019, for the same offense. He can challenge the decision.
Athletes must notify the authorities of their whereabouts in order to allow anti-doping officials to find them.
If they fail to show or give wrong information three times a year, they can be punished.
The delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to begin on July 23, 2021.
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