Seasoned thrower tests positive

A seasoned and well-known thrower has tested positive for clomiphene, a drug used to treat infertility in women.

Sources said the athlete, a former Asian Games gold medallist, was tested out of competition on February 16 in Gurugram and returned a positive result for clomiphene. She has not been provisionally suspended and is allowed to compete.

According to USA Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA’s) substance profile, to use clomiphene the “athletes may apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), which gives them permission to take a prohibited substance or use a prohibited method for a specified time period.

“Similar to other drugs, clomiphene and its metabolites may persist in an athlete’s body well after treatment has been completed, so it’s important that an athlete apply for a TUE for clomiphene in advance of using this medication, regardless of the reasons for its prescription and use.”

It is not clear whether the thrower has applied for TUE.

This is the third time the athlete has tested positive in her career spanning more than two decades.