Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos banned for doping

Nijel Amos, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the men’s 800 meters, has been banned for three years for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit said in a ruling published on Wednesday.

The runner from Botswana tested positive for the banned substance GW1516 last year in the run-up to the track world championships and received a reduction on the standard four-year ban because he admitted to the charges. The ban rules Amos out of next year’s Paris Olympics. Amos equalled the third-fastest time in 800 history at the age of 18 when he won the silver medal behind world record-breaking David Rudisha of Kenya at the 2012 London Games, becoming Botswana’s first-ever Olympic medallist. His silver medal is not affected by the doping ruling. The 29-year-old Amos is a three-time Olympian who has won titles at the African Championships and Commonwealth Games. His time of 1 minute, 41.73 seconds from the 2012 Olympics remains the world junior record. The AIU ruling said Amos initially asked for tests to be run on a supplement he had been taking before the positive test.