+34
Olufemi Komolafe, winner of the 2026 men's Stawell Gift, has been suspended for 12 months after testing positive for a banned ADHD medication and stripped of his $40,000 prize.
Olufemi Komolafe, the winner of the 2026 men's Stawell Gift, has been suspended from competition for 12 months after recording a positive drug test for ADHD medication, Sports Integrity Australia has confirmed.
The 21-year-old medical student from Adelaide has also been stripped of the $40,000 prize and his title after winning the famous 120-metre handicap footrace in April. Komolafe, known as Femi, set a new personal best to claim his first major title. He was given a 5-metre handicap in this year's race and started behind all but one of his opponents in the final.
He won off 5m with a time of 11.93 seconds at Central Park in Stawell on April 6, 2026. Sports Integrity Australia handed down the 12-month ban after confirming Komolafe had tested positive for the banned medication. ADHD medications are banned in sport for their potential performance-enhancing effects, with athletes only able to use them if they have a medical diagnosis and it is part of treatment.
Stawell Gift Winner Femi Komolafe Suspended
The ban was reduced from four years to 12 months because Komolafe was unaware the medication was in breach of Sport Integrity Australia's rules. He had started taking the medication on the recommendation of his sister, who is a doctor, to help with his studies. Komolafe's coach Paul Young, the 1985 Stawell Gift winner, told Code Sports the athlete took the medication to help him focus on his studies and had been upfront from the start.
He was struggling with his studies, his parents are doctors, his sister and brother are doctors, so there is pressure to be a high-achiever, Young said. He took the medication to help him focus on his studies and he has been on it ever since, Young said. He just kept taking it as he certainly did not think it was going to affect his athletics.
He was upfront from the start, he told the testers on the day that he was taking it. In all the literature I have seen about the drug, it confirms it has no performance enhancing qualities for sprinting, it does not make you faster, it does not make you fitter, it does not make you stronger, it is purely to help you focus which he needed for his studies, Young said.
Concerns Over Athletes Using ADHD Medications
The ban comes as Sports Integrity Australia expresses concerns over the prevalence of athletes using ADHD medications without a formal diagnosis. In July, its chief executive, Sarah Benson, said she was seeing a significant number of inadvertent doping violations from high-level Australian athletes using ADHD medication. Dr Benson said the consequences are severe for athletes found breaching the rules.
Since these medications could be abused by athletes for performance improvement reasons, the tough reality is that they are banned under the World Anti-Doping Code if the athlete does not have a formal diagnosis, Dr Benson said. Under the Code, this is true even if they establish their diagnosis after the positive test, and they face a ban of one to four years, she said.
Stawell Gift organisers have not confirmed whether Komolafe will be asked to return his winnings or whether he will be stripped of his title. The current article states he has been stripped of the $40,000 prize and banned for 12 months after recording a positive drug test.
FOXSportsAUS
abcnews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Stawell Gift Olufemi Komolafe Sports Integrity Australia ADHD Medication Doping Athletics Suspension
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chris Fagan given special gift as three-word fan chant eruptsThousands of fans went wild for the players, but saved their best cheer for the beloved coach.
Read more »
AFL Ticketing Officer's Unexpected Gift Turns One Family's Grand Final Dream Into RealityA last‑minute ticket giveaway by AFL General Manager of Ticketing, Sean Williams, gave four unsuspecting fans from Traralgon a free pass to the 2024 AFL Grand Final, creating an unforgettable experience that reminded viewers that kindness still thrives in the sports world.
Read more »
Olufemi Komolafe Stripped of Stawell Gift Title and $40,000 Prize for Failed Drug TestStawell Gift men's winner Olufemi Komolafe has been stripped of his title and $40,000 prize after failing a drug test for a banned substance in ADHD medication. He received a 12-month ban, and runner-up Jake Ireland will be elevated to winner.
Read more »