Stawell Gift winner receives 12-month ban after ADHD medication test
Sports Integrity Australia has suspended 2026 Stawell Gift winner Olufemi “Femi” Komolafe for 12 months after he tested positive for banned ADHD medication. The 21-year-old won the 120-metre race and its $40,000 prize, but organisers have not said whether his title or winnings will be affected.
The winner of the 2026 men’s Stawell Gift, Olufemi “Femi” Komolafe, has been suspended for 12 months after testing positive for ADHD medication, Sports Integrity Australia said. Komolafe, 21, won the annual 120-metre handicapped sprint in April. He set a personal best, claimed his first major title and received the $40,000 prize for finishing first.
Sports Integrity Australia confirmed that the positive test involved medication used to treat ADHD. Such medicines are prohibited in sport because of their potential performance-enhancing effects, although athletes may use them when they have a medical diagnosis and the treatment is authorised under the relevant rules. Komolafe had a five-metre handicap in the final, meaning he started behind all but one of his opponents.
The supplied material does not state whether he had a diagnosis, whether he applied for an exemption or what explanation he provided for the positive result. Stawell Gift organisers have not confirmed whether Komolafe will be stripped of the title or required to return his winnings. The supplied material also does not say when the suspension began or when it will end.
Sports Integrity Australia chief executive Sarah Benson has raised concerns about athletes using ADHD medication without a formal diagnosis. She said such substances are banned under the World Anti-Doping Code when there is no formal diagnosis, even if a diagnosis is established after a positive test. Benson said athletes found to have breached the rules could face bans of between one and four years.
In Komolafe’s case, the announced suspension is for 12 months.
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