- Hunter shines as Hawks top Cavs again
- Southampton denied shock Brighton win by dubious VAR call
- Alarm over high rate of HIV infections among young women, girls
- Swiss unveil Euro 2025 mascot Maddli
- Bears fire coach Eberflus after latest agonizing NFL defeat
- Rallies mark one month since Spain's catastrophic floods
- Arnault family's Paris FC takeover completed
- 'We're messing up:' Uruguay icon Mujica on strongman rule in Latin America
- Liverpool dealt Konate injury blow
- Van Nistelrooy appointed Leicester manager
- Verstappen brought back to earth in Doha after F1 title party
- Global wine output to hit lowest level since 1961
- Norris boosts McLaren title hopes with sprint pole
- Romania recounts presidential ballots as parliamentary vote looms
- French skipper Dalin leads as Vendee Globe passes Cape of Good Hope
- Chelsea not in Premier League title race, says Maresca
- Brazil's Bolsonaro aims to ride Trump wave back to office: WSJ
- France requests transfer of death row convict held in Indonesia: minister
- 'Mamie Charge': Migrants find safe haven in Frenchwoman's garage
- Iconic Uruguayan ex-leader hails country's swing left as 'farewell gift'
- Shared experiences make Murray 'perfect coach', says Djokovic
- Iran, Europeans to keep talking as tensions ratchet up
- Inflation-wary US consumers flock to 'Black Friday' deals
- France shows off restored Notre Dame after 'impossible' restoration
- South African bowlers strike after Sri Lanka set big target
- Namibia reopens polls after election chaos in ruling party test
- Georgia police arrest dozens in clashes with pro-EU protesters
- Leclerc on top for Ferrari in Qatar GP practice
- Amorim puts faith in Mount to turn around Man Utd career
- Guardiola will not 'run' from Man City rebuild
- Assisted dying campaigners, opponents rally at UK parliament
- Durable prop Healy set to carve name in Irish rugby history
- Macron unveils Notre Dame after 'impossible' restoration
- Traumatised Spain marks one month since catastrophic floods
- Attack-minded Spurs boss Postecoglou says: 'You'll miss me when I'm gone'
- Syria jihadists, allies shell major city Aleppo in shock offensive
- Macron inspects 'sublime' Notre Dame after reconstruction
- Arsenal must be near-perfect to catch Liverpool, says Arteta
- Arrests, intimidation stoke fear in Pakistan's politics
- Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: the WTO's trailblazing motivator
- British MPs debate contentious assisted dying law
- Macron offers first glimpse of post-fire Notre Dame
- Syria jihadists, allies shell Aleppo in shock offensive
- Japan government approves $92 bn extra budget
- Toll in Syria jihadist-army fighting rises to 242: monitor
- UK transport secretary quits in setback for Starmer
- Days before deadline, plastic treaty draft highlights disagreement
- Crypto boss eats banana art he bought for $6.2 million
- Teen news boss criticises Australian social media ban
Olympic medallist Koki Ikeda vows to clear name after doping suspension
Japan's Olympic medallist race walker Koki Ikeda said Saturday he was "completely bewildered" and pleaded his innocence after being provisionally suspended for alleged doping.
The Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday that the 26-year-old, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, had been provisionally banned for suspected blood doping, according to several media reports.
AFP contacted the AIU for details but had yet to receive a reply.
Ikeda, who also won silver at the 2022 world championships and finished seventh at the Paris Olympics, said in a statement released to Japanese media that he would fight to clear his name.
"For reasons that I know absolutely nothing about, I may not be able to compete in my next race and I am completely bewildered," he said.
Ikeda said he would "strive for the truth to come to light and for a fair result".
"From here on I would be very grateful for your understanding and support," he added.
The Monaco-based AIU is an independent monitoring division at World Athletics dealing with doping in the sport.
L.Carrico--PC