World record-holding triathlete banned for anti-doping violation
USADA has banned Polish record holder Robert Karaś for eight years
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) banned Poland’s Robert Karaś—a multiple world record holder in ultra-distance triathlons—for eight years after he failed his second anti-doping test in as many years. Karaś may not be a household name, even for avid fans of triathlon, but he has one of the most impressive resumes in the sport—a resume that is now tainted after a pair of anti-doping violations.
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Karaś is known for tackling long-distance challenges. He owns the records for the double ultratriathlon (7.6-kilometre swim, 360-kilometre bike, 84-kilometre run) with a time of 18:44:38 and the triple ultratriathlon (11.4-kilometre swim, 540-kilometre bike, 126-kilometre run). Karaś is also a deca ultratriathlon champion, winning a continuous race (meaning there are no stages and no scheduled stops before the finish line) that consists of a 38-kilometre swim, an 1,800-kilometre bike, and a 422-kilometre run.
Last February, Karaś also set the world record for the quintuple ultratriathlon. Racing at the Florida ANVIL Ultra Triathlon, he won the race in 60 hours, but he tested positive for clomiphene and drostanolone, a pair of banned substances. USADA provisionally suspended Karaś from competition in March.
After a lengthy process, Karaś attended a hearing with USADA in December. He requested that the hearing be postponed until April of this year, as the December date conflicted with his solo challenge of completing 150 iron-distance triathlons in 150 days (a challenge that he called off after 56 days). His request was denied and the hearing went ahead in December as planned.
On Jan. 20, USADA announced it had banned Karaś from competition for eight years. His ban will start on May 30, a day after a pre-existing suspension comes to an end. While he cannot compete in any sanctioned events, Karaś has announced that he plans to shoot for the goal of completing 150 iron-distance races in as many days once again. Should he break any records during this challenge, they will not be officially recognized.