Gudaf Tsegay Welcomes First Child as She Joins Track Rival Beatrice Chebet in Motherhood Journey

Former world champion Gudaf Tsegay is the latest athlete to become a mother after welcoming her first child.

Tsegay, a former world indoor record holder, announced the birth of a baby boy on Wednesday, joining the list of new athletics mothers, which also include track rival Beatrice Chebet, who also gave birth to a boy in June.

The Ethiopian runner was in great sprints as she posted a picture of herself in hospital and another one of a man holding her newborn son.

The announcement comes two months after Tsegay was suspended for four months after a prohibited substance was found in an out-of-competition drug test.

The 29-year-old distance runner, who won the 5,000m world title in 2022 and the 10,000m crown in 2023, tested positive for a metabolite of Letrozole in December of last year. Tsegay also secured a bronze medal in the 5,000m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Letrozole is classified as an aromatase inhibitor on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list and is commonly used in breast cancer treatment to lower estrogen levels.

After the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) notified her of the adverse finding in late January, Tsegay quickly responded, explaining that the substance was prescribed to treat a diagnosed medical condition. She provided supporting medical documentation to substantiate her claim.

In February, Tsegay applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) with World Athletics. The governing body confirmed that her treatment regimen met the international standards for a TUE. However, her request for a retroactive TUE, which can be granted in exceptional circumstances, was denied by WADA.

Following this, Tsegay entered into a case resolution agreement with both WADA and the AIU. A statement from the AIU noted that a four-month ban was deemed "appropriate" under the rules, which account for situations where an athlete bears no significant fault or negligence.

Her period of ineligibility was backdated to June 1 and will conclude on September 30, allowing her to return to competition as soon as she is done with her maternity break.