Italian ultrarunner Luca Manfredi will be suspended due to a doping violation by the Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera (FIDAL), the Italian athletics federation, anti-doping court.
In recent years, Manfredi had risen to prominence in the elite circles of ultrarunning, with recent wins at the 2021 Chianti Ultra Trail 73k and the 2020 La Scarpa della Val Trebbia, both in Italy. His top international ultrarunning results include eighth place at the 2019 Ultra-Trail Cape Town and third place at the 2019 100 Miles of Istria. Prior to his accomplishments in ultrarunning, Manfredi competed as a professional cyclist.
According to the FIDAL press release, published on July 27, 2021, Manfredi tested positive for a triamcinolone acetonide metabolite, following a competitive check conducted by NADO Italia, the country’s anti-doping organization, at the 2021 Lavaredo Ultra Trail, held in Cortina d’Ampezzo on June 26, 2021. After running in the top 10 of Lavaredo for several hours, Manfredi dropped from the race.
At this time, NADO Italia has not released any information on the length of the suspension, and Manfredi has not issued a response to this suspension, which appears to be provisional.
Italy’s Luca Manfredi competing at the 2020 Transgrancanaria. Photo: iRunFar
Triamcinolone acetonide is classified as a glucocorticoid according to the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. WADA prohibits its use in competition, without a therapeutic use exemption, when administered orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or rectally.
The anti-inflammatory corticosteroid, which is usually used to treat conditions such as arthritis or asthma, has a history of doping abuse in endurance sports, including at the Tour de France.
Manfredi’s first suspension came in 2010 when he served a two-year doping ban from 2010 to 2012 issued by the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, the Italian National Olympic Committee. At the time, he tested positive for the prohibited stimulants amphetamine and ephedrine at the 2010 Gran Fondo delle Alpi cycling race.
We will update this article as more information becomes available.
Our thanks to Sergio Fernández for the tip on this breaking news.
TNA: sospeso Luca Manfredi https://t.co/YPmpoug4Ni Positivo de Luca Manfredi en Lavaredo #dopingisforlosers
— Sergio Fernández (@ser13gio) July 29, 2021
Learn more about doping in trail running and ultrarunning:
