Luka Maisuradze, the Georgian world judo champion, has been suspended until October 2024 following a doping violation. This revelation came after a series of reports and investigations that uncovered the presence of ostarine, a banned anabolic substance, in a sample he provided during an April 2023 test. Ostarine is known to enhance muscle mass and aid in recovery, but its use is strictly prohibited in competitive sports.
Maisuradze attributed the positive test to contamination from supplements he had taken to improve concentration, specifically pills that were later confirmed to contain the banned substance. While the Georgian anti-doping agency acknowledged this might have been unintentional, they still held him accountable for negligence, particularly in not thoroughly checking the supplements. Consequently, the agency imposed a suspension lasting until mid-October 2024, which rules him out of key competitions, including the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Despite this, Georgia remains competitive in the -90 kg category with Lasha Bekauri, the reigning Olympic champio
