Ukrainian Triple Jump Star Provisionally Suspended After Positive Drug Test
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One of Europe’s most celebrated track and field athletes, Ukrainian triple jump specialist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for testosterone, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced Thursday.
The news sent shockwaves through the athletics community, tarnishing an otherwise illustrious career. Born in Khmelnytskyi 29 years ago, Bekh-Romanchuk is more than just a competitor her name echoes across the long jump circuit, but she shines brightest in the triple jump, where she has reached the pinnacle of European athletics. At the 2023 European Games in Chorzow, she struck gold with a standout performance, joining an elite group of just 19 women in history to surpass the mythical 15-metre mark.
Until this controversy, her accolades spoke for themselves: European Champion in 2022, double World Championships silver medallist (2019, 2023), and runner-up at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. Her collection also includes four European medals, spanning both outdoor and indoor championships. A resume crafted for greatness now clouded by uncertainty.
Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk has long been a proud representative of Ukraine on the Olympic stage. She debuted at Rio 2016 and came agonizingly close to a medal at Tokyo 2020, finishing fifth in the long jump final. However, her once-brilliant career dimmed at the Paris 2024 Games, where she fell short of 14 meters in the triple jump final far from her former dominance.
The fallout from her suspension is already reshaping the athletics calendar. Bekh-Romanchuk had been scheduled to compete at the Doha Diamond League this Friday, but her absence will be felt. Since her disappointing Paris showing, she has yet to return to official competition, and this provisional ban only deepens the uncertainty surrounding her future.
For now, questions outweigh answers. Authorities have not disclosed the exact timing of her failed test or the severity of the impending sanction. As the disciplinary process unfolds over the coming months, the fate of this 30 year old star once destined for Ukrainian sporting history remains uncertain.
Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk’s influence stretches far beyond the track. With over half a million Instagram followers, she has built a formidable presence, and her personal life has often made headlines. Married to Mykhailo Romanchuk an Olympic silver and bronze medallist in swimming she was part of Ukraine’s ultimate sporting power couple. Romanchuk, a national hero, carried his country’s flag at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony.
Yet, her suspension is just one in a growing wave of doping scandals rattling athletics. The AIU recently handed Kenyan marathoner Nehemiah Kipyegon a three-year ban after he admitted to using trimetazidine, a prohibited substance. Kipyegon, who won the Munich Marathon last October in a stunning debut over the distance, claimed he took the drug “unknowingly” a defense that did little to sway authorities.
Meanwhile, Brazilian marathon star Daniel Do Nascimento a standout in South American long-distance running has also fallen from grace. His rapid rise between 2021 and 2023 was marred by positive tests for three anabolic steroids drostanolone, metenolone, and nandrolone. The consequence? A heavy suspension and the dramatic collapse of his international reputation.