Drug Test Fallout: Aussie Paralympian 'Shattered' After Rival Banned for Doping

Published: June 3, 2025 • By the Drug Test Digest Team

It’s the kind of twist you wouldn’t script — unless, perhaps, you were trying to crush someone’s Olympic dreams.

Australian Paralympic runner Jaryd Clifford has spoken out after learning that Yassine Ouhdadi El Ataby, the man who won gold in the 2024 Paris T13 5000m final, has been banned for failing a drug test. Clifford, who was controversially disqualified from the same race, says the news left him “shattered.”

Gold Medal Gone

The International Paralympic Committee confirmed that Ouhdadi tested positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, following an out-of-competition urine test on July 28, 2024 — just weeks before the Paris Games. He has now been handed a three-year suspension and stripped of his medal. Gold and silver will instead go to Russian runners Aleksandr Kostin and Anton Kuliatin, with bronze going to Ecuador’s Sixto Roman Moreta Criollo.

“It’s hard not to think about how different that last lap might have played out”

Clifford led most of the race before being overtaken in the final 200 meters. He crossed the finish line in third but was disqualified for a technical error — failing to maintain tether contact with his guide. The rule is clear, but the timing of Ouhdadi’s late surge may have had everything to do with Clifford’s unraveling.

“Without Yassine in that 5000m, it’s hard not to think about how different that last lap might have played out,” Clifford posted on social media. “To think that holding on for silver that day would be a gold today feels like another kick in the guts.”

It’s an emotional blow for an athlete already carrying the weight of a DQ. And while medal reshuffling may change the official record, Clifford says it doesn’t change how that race made him feel.

Fighting for Future Moments

Clifford, who has a vision impairment and competes with the help of a guide runner, said he’s focused on the future — not retroactive redemption. “When I dream of winning a gold medal, I don’t dream about the dot-point on the resume,” he wrote. “I dream about the moment crossing the line knowing that all the hard work finally paid off.”

For now, Ouhdadi’s ban extends just beyond the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Clifford, meanwhile, is training for his next shot — with more clarity, but just as much heartbreak.

Original source: News.com.au – June 3, 2025

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Drug Test Digest does not speculate on intent or guilt. All doping allegations and bans are based on official rulings from sporting bodies.