Olympic boxing is a cornerstone of the Olympic Summer Games and has been revered for over 100 years since 1904. Boxing, however, has wrestled with the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, which threaten the sport’s integrity and the safety of its competitors. Now, it has been announced that 2024 Paris Olympic heavyweight gold medalist Lazizbek Mullojonov was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.
Olympic Boxing Heavyweight Gold Medalist Could Lose Medal Over Drug Test originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Olympic boxing is a cornerstone of the Olympic Summer Games and has been revered for over 100 years since 1904. Boxing, however, has wrestled with the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, which threaten the sport’s integrity and the safety of its competitors. Despite advancements in testing and stricter penalties, the battle to keep boxing clean remains an ongoing struggle, and each new case exposes the holes in anti-doping efforts.
Now, it has been announced that 2024 Paris Olympic heavyweight gold medalist Lazizbek Mullojonov was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) announced that an out-of-competition sample collected from the boxer on June 11 tested positive for for methasterone, an anabolic steroid prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
Mullojonov, who turned professional in 2021 and holds an undefeated 7-0 professional record with six wins coming by way of knockout, now faces potential disciplinary action. If found guilty, Mullojonov could face a multi-year ban, stripping him of his Olympic accolades and halting his promising pro career.
The ITA, however, has granted him the right to request an analysis of his B-sample. They have also granted him the opportunity to challenge his provisional suspension and present an explanation for the result.
The boxer, who represented Uzbekistan in the Olympic Games, recently competed on June 25 in the WBC Heavyweight Grand Prix, defeating his Moroccan opponent, Youness Baalla. The tournament’s website now lists Baalla as advancing instead.
Mullojonov’s positive test is a controversial asterisk on the otherwise dominant Uzbek men’s boxing program, where the country had a successful showing at the Paris Olympics, winning five gold medals in boxing out of their eight total gold medals across all sports.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
