Aleksa Ukropina out of Olympics after positive doping test
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 25: Blake Edwards of Australia hitting the face of Aleksa Ukropina of Montenegro during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Waterpolo Tournament Men match between Team Australia and Team Montenegro at Tatsumi Waterpolo Centre on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan (Photo by Marcel ter Bals/Orange Pictures)
Montenegrin water polo player Aleksa Ukropina will be suspended for a minimum of six months after testing positive for a banned substance, ruling him out of the Paris Olympics. The 25-year-old from Herceg Novi failed the test due to an inhaler medication he used, which he did not realize would lead to a doping violation. As a result, Ukropina did not seek a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), which could have allowed him to use the substance for medical reasons without facing sanctions.
The positive test came to light after Montenegro’s match against Spain at the World Championships in Doha, leading to Ukropina’s exclusion from subsequent games. He now has until the end of the month to provide an explanation to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
With Ukropina being one of the key Montenegrin players, Gojkovic has only a few months to find a solution to compensate for his contribution.
Ukropina’s suspension highlights the critical importance of athletes being fully aware of the doping regulations and the substances they use. His absence is a significant loss for the Montenegrin team, which has qualified for the upcoming Olympics.
