Issam Asinga: Record Breaker to 4-Year Ban
High school track athletes competing at state or national meets is one achievement, but competing against professional athletes—and let alone beating them in a race—is an extraordinary feat. A situation such as this applies to Issam Asinga, who rose to the athletics spotlight in April 2023 after beating Noah Lyles, the American record-holder in the 200 meters. However, this spotlight was unfortunately shut down due to positive drug tests months after, in addition to a recent 4-year ban announced this May.
Rising to the Spotlight:
Issamade Asinga, widely known as Issam Asinga, was born on December 29, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia, but grew up in Zambia before attending Montverde Academy in Florida, where he would advance his track career. His sprinting career goes back to both his parents. His mother, Ngozi Mwanamwambwa, was a Zambian short sprinter, while Tommy Asinga holds the Surinamese national records in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m. He rose to the spotlight after winning his Missouri state meets as a sophomore, running times of 10.63, 21.64, and 48.17. As a junior, Issam made national headlines on Milesplit after running 10.44 in the 100m and a 20.76 200m at the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic, further bringing his name into shine.
During the indoor season in March 2023, the now senior Issam Asinga raced in the New Balance Indoor Nationals, running a national record in the 200m of 20.47 and winning the 60m title with 6.57. On April 29, 2023, Issam took the track world by storm by running a 19.97 200m, becoming the first high schooler to break 20 seconds in the 200m.
As of April 2023, he clocked three 100m races that timed under 10 seconds, one of which was against the 6-time world champion Noah Lyles. At the Pure Athletics Spring Invitational, Issam ran a wind-aided 9.83, which was, at the time, a new high school record, while Lyles ran a 9.92. After running multiple sub-10 second 100 meter races, Issam competed in the South American Championships, punching his ticket to the World Championships held in Budapest.
Running a blistering 9.89 seconds in a legal wind reading, Issam Asinga made history by breaking the U20 world record. It was previously held in 2022 by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo with 9.91, who is now the silver medalist in the 100m of 2023 and also the 300m world record holder. Issam Asinga was later selected for the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for Track and Field.
Provisional Suspension into Ban:
Despite Asinga being headed to Budapest for the 2023 World Championships, he was given a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on August 11, 2023. A urine sample of his tested positive for the substance GW1516 (cardarine), which is a fat metabolizer that improves recovery and is used as a hormone modulator. Issam was not cleared to compete at the 2023 World Championships, and would later have his B-sample also test positive, having two positive doping tests. On May 27, 2024, Issam was issued a 4-year ban for these positive tests, and would only be able to compete before the next Olympic cycle in 2028.
Unfortunately, Issam’s U20 world record was also stripped due to the positive doping tests, returning the record back to Letsile Tebogo with 9.91. Shortly after the results were released to the public, speculation started to spread after the results displayed that his positive test resulted from contaminated Gatorade recovery gummies. Issam’s legal team made an appeal that he did not have knowledge of the substance being present in the Gatorade gummies, as there may have been contamination either in the factories or an external source. World Athletics’ stance poses the contamination issue as either:
Contamination by unclean manufacturing factories by Gatorade
Gummies were altered and contaminate by Issam Asinga or another external source or persons
Issam takes a position claiming that he is an athlete that has never used any banned substances to give himself an advantage in his sport under his knowledge. "Since I began competing, I have always been committed to the integrity of my sport. I have been hyper-vigilant and have NEVER used and would NEVER knowingly use any banned substance, risking a promising career and my entire future," states Issam.
AIU Case and Lawsuits:
Following the lengthy 4-year Ban by the AIU, Issam and his legal team filed a suit in the Southern District of New York that Gatorade provided him with Gatorade Recovery Gummies at their awards ceremony on July 11, 2023, in Los Angeles, which were tainted with cardarine. Interestingly, there were inconsistencies in Issam Asinga's positive tests for GW156 (cardarine), which were taken in the months of June and July. He tested negative on June 11, 2023, then positive on July 18, then negative on July 28, 2023. An opposing party claims that it is likely that the substance was taken in a small dose for the first test to get a negative result, then detected by the second test after the gummies had been consumed in a greater yield. After both sides of the case presented their claims, the AIU officially stated that the evidence given was not enough to prove that he consumed the gummies and, therefore, the substance without his knowledge. Issam Asinga was officially issued the 4-year Ban from athletics and will be able to return to competition by July 2027.`
Sources:
Jan, Paras. “Issam Asinga Receives 4-Year Ban for Positive Doping.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 June 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/parasjan/2024/05/29/issam-asinga-receives-4-year-ban-for-positive-doping/.
Mull, Cory. “Issam Asinga Breaks High School National 200m Record.” MileSplit United States, MileSplit, 30 Apr. 2023, www.milesplit.com/articles/333006/issam-asinga-breaks-high-school-national-200m-record.
Mull, Cory. “Issam Asinga Runs Altitude 20.76 200m: Great Southwest Track & Field Classic.” MileSplit United States, www.milesplit.com/videos/569570/issam-asinga-runs-altitude-2076-200m. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
Nick, McCarvel. “After Beating Noah Lyles, High School Sprinter Issam Asinga Seeks World Athletics Championship Berth.” Olympics Athletics, Olympics, 2 May 2023, olympics.com/en/news/athletics-issam-asinga-usa-high-school-sprint-sensation.
Press, Associated. “Issam Asinga Banned 4 Years, Has Record Stripped for Doping Positive.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 27 May 2024, www.espn.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/40228987/issam-asinga-banned-4-years-record-stripped-doping-positive.
“Teen Sprinter Issam Asinga Who Beat Noah Lyles and Set U20 World Record Suspended in Doping Case.” AP News, AP News, 11 Aug. 2023, apnews.com/article/track-field-doping-asinga-suspended-lyles-10d4c1aa95832030744972e6b6b0a265.