Issam Asinga, one of the top youth sprinters in the world, was publicly issued a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Friday. Asinga, who just finished his senior year at Montverde Academy in Florida, is charged with having the banned substance GW1516 in his system.
Asinga, who turned 18 on December 29 and represents Suriname internationally, was entered in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the upcoming World Athletics Championships, which begin on August 19. He’ll await a hearing to determine when he is eligible to compete again.
Asinga is currently tied for the fourth-fastest time in the world in the 100 meters this year (9.89) and has run the 15th fastest 200 meters (19.97).
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On Friday afternoon, he published a statement on Instagram saying that the AIU will be testing his B sample before the World Championships.
According to USADA, GW1516 is not available as a legally prescribed medication or supplement and “was pulled from clinical trials when it was found to cause cancer, which means it has not undergone human studies and is not safe to use.” Nijel Amos, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 800 meters, was banned for the same substance in 2022. USADA warns athletes that dietary supplements could still be contaminated with the compound.
Asinga stormed onto the high school scene earlier this year. He became the first high school athlete to run under the 20-second barrier in the 200 meters, breaking Noah Lyles’s previous high school record from 2016 in April. On July 28, Asinga won the 100 meters at the South American Championships in 9.89, setting a new world U20 record. His personal bests from his junior year were 10.44 for 100 meters and 20.67 in the 200 meters.
In July, Asinga was named the 2022-23 Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. He is signed to compete for Texas A&M in the fall.
A representative from Montverde Academy did not respond to Runner’s World for comment at the time of publishing.
Theo Kahler is the news editor for Runner’s World. He is a former all-conference collegiate runner who’s based in Easton, PA. Previously, he worked as the newsletters editor at Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.
