Georgia Bell to receive World Indoor silver after Welteji doping ban

Team GB’s Georgia Bell is set to have her World Indoor Championships bronze medal upgraded to silver after Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji was handed a two-year ban for an anti-doping violation.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by World Athletics regarding a missed test by the Ethiopian runner in March 2025.

Welteji had originally finished second in the 1500m in Nanjing, China, forcing the British athlete to settle for third place.

Welteji banned over missed test

Doping control officers attempted to conduct an out-of-competition test at Welteji’s home, but no sample was collected.

The athlete’s husband reportedly informed officials she was sleeping, leading to a failure to comply with testing protocols.

While a disciplinary panel initially overturned a provisional suspension citing a language barrier between the husband and officers, CAS determined the conduct was negligent rather than intentional.

Consequently, all results achieved by the 23-year-old since 25 February 2025 have been annulled.

Continued rise for British star

The retrospective disqualification means Bell climbs to second on the podium, adding another accolade to a stellar period in her career.

The 1500m specialist previously claimed bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting a national record of three minutes 52.61 seconds.

Australia’s Georgia Griffith is also set to benefit from the ruling, moving from fourth place to take the bronze medal.

Welteji will remain banned from competition until 30 June 2027.