Being a modern athlete means being careful not just about training and competing but also a host of prohibited activities and substances. The Athletics Integrity Unit is a constant threat to athletes who break the rules, and a 32-year-old French runner might be in the crosshairs.

According to a report from French publication Spe15, France’s Aurore Fleury has allegedly received a six-month ban for violating competition manipulation rules. Reports claim that Fleury placed a bet on compatriot Alice Finot to win the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 European Championships in Rome. Finot ultimately won the race.

According to Athletics Integrity, competition manipulation includes “any attempt to control the outcome of a competition or alter the natural course of a sporting event, or part of it. Competition manipulation can be committed for sporting or financial gains, and sometimes via illegal betting or gambling activities.”

While betting on sports isn’t illegal, athletes are prohibited from betting on events in their own discipline or sport. As Athletics Integrity has outlined:

“A betting prohibition means that accredited persons are not allowed to bet on their competitions, disciplines at the World Athletics Series Events or other competitions and disciplines at a multi-sports event such as the Olympic Games.”

The reports also suggest that Fleury’s ban will last till March 2026. Still, no official confirmation has come from the AIU regarding Fleury’s alleged suspension. When asked for comment, Fleury said she would speak further once the AIU publishes its official report.

“As you are probably already aware, all topics addressed by the AIU are publicly disclosed on their website,” said Aurore Fleury (translated from French). “Unless I am mistaken, this disclosure is not yet in effect.

“This publication will be accompanied by a document accessible to all; I am certain that after reading it, you will no longer require any clarification from me. However, if this is not the case, I invite you to contact me again later with your questions.”

Before this incident, Fleury was best known for her solid competitive record in middle‑distance running. She has competed internationally for France, achieving notable results at the national level, such as wins and podium finishes at French Indoors.

She was also successful in the mixed relay with the French team at the European Cross Country Championships and also won gold at the Mediterranean Games. Fleury also won bronze and silver medals at the 2019 and 2021 European Cross Country Championships, respectively.

But this rigorous approach to accountability is not confined to recent cases. That includes events that happened years ago, such as the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Rio 2016 re-tests catch seven athletes for doping a decade later

Athletes continue to be held accountable a decade after the Rio 2016 Olympics. On 24 January 2026, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced that seven athletes from Rio had failed a post-test after sample re-analysis with enhanced detection methods.

Among those affected were Lithuanian weightlifter Aurimas Didzbalis, who won bronze in the men’s 94 kg category, and Bulgarian sprinter Ivet Lalova, who finished eighth in the women’s 200 meters.

According to the ITA, most of these positives were uncovered thanks to technical advances in doping detection that can now spot substances that went undetected at the time.

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Olympic samples are stored for up to 10 years. This allows authorities to retest them as technology improves. Of the recent cases, four involved the anabolic steroid danabol, including Didzbalis, while two were linked to oral turinabol.  Lalova tested positive for ostarine, a substance with steroid-like effects.

Didzbalis may lose his bronze medal and be disqualified, which would possibly push fourth-place finisher Sarat Sumpradit of Thailand to move up. Lalova’s positive test also had an impact on the competition outcome: her position in the 200-meter final had denied Ella Nelson of Australia a chance to progress.

The group of seven includes four weightlifters and one athlete each from judo, wrestling, and track and field. Olympic athletes can be caught for doping even years later due to the improved technology now available.