India’s fastest female sprinter Dutee Chand has tested positive for using a prohibitive substance on Wednesday (January 18). Consequently, the celebrated athelte has been handed a provisional suspension.

It is being reported that the prohibitive substanaces that have been found in Dutee’s samples are SARS S4 Andarine, O Dephenylandarine, SARMS (ENBOSARM) (OSTARINE) and LIGANDROL Metabolite. The substance that she has returned a postive resulty for are said to be Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), which these have similar anabolic properties to anabolic steroids but with reduced androgenic (producing male characteristics) properties.

It is pertinent to note that while her ‘A’ sample has tested positive, it is likely that the 26-year-old will appeal for a test of her ‘B’ sample. As per the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) official website these prohibited subtances can potentially be used for performance enhancement owing to their charactertistic of being anabolic in nature. Moreover, they also have the ability to stimulate androgen receptors leading to muscle and bone growth and thus an unfair advantage obtained thorugh the use of a drug.

Dutee’s sample was collected out-of-competition on December 5, 2022

While Dutee is the reigning 100m national champion, she also came second in both the 100m and 200m events at the 2018 Asian Games.

“I do hereby inform you that your sample A was tested at the NDTL (National Dope Testing Laboratory) in accordance with the procedure set out in WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) International Standard of Laboratories and was returned adverse analytical findings as details given below,” the National Anti Doping Agency wrote in a letter addressed to Dutee notifying her about the adverse analytical findings for ‘andarine’, ‘ostarine’ and ‘ligandrol as quoted by news agency PTI.

The sample was collected out-of-competition on December 5 last year in Bhubaneswar.

The letter also warned Dutee about the potential consequences.

“I do hereby invite you to carefully read the contents of this letter which provides important information as to the potential consequences of the AAF and resulting disciplinary process,” the letter added.

(With Inputs From PTI)