Positive doping test rocks cycling

This is the first reported doping case involving a cyclist in Botswana, with most previous cases recorded in athletics amid a rise in reported doping incidents in the country. Kenaope tested positive for Prednisolone following an in-competition sample collected by the BNOC on September 6, 2026. BNOC said the substance is classified under S9 - Glucocorticoids in the 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

“The presence of this substance in an athlete’s sample following analysis by a WADA-accredited laboratory constitutes an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under the Botswana Anti-Doping Rules and World Anti-Doping Code,” the BNOC added in a statement. The committee confirmed that Kenaope has been notified of the adverse analytical finding, but stressed that the cyclist remains presumed innocent as the case proceeds through the adjudicatory process. “At this stage, the athlete is presumed innocent until proven otherwise through the full adjudicatory process,” the statement noted.