Qatari middle-distance runner given two-year doping ban

Qatari middle-distance runner Hamza Driouch has been suspended two years for a doping violation.

The IAAF says the 20-year-old athlete was sanctioned for irregularities in his biological passport, which tracks a competitor’s blood profile for signs of doping.

The IAAF says the suspension will last until Dec. 30, 2016, ruling Driouch out of a possible appearance at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Driouch, who competed in the 1,500 meters at the 2012 London Olympics but failed to make the final, won the event at the junior world championships in 2012.

AP