Meat off the menu for Norwegian athletes in China over doping fears

Henriette Jaeger of Norway, pictured at the Paris Olympics, will be competing in China in May. PHOTO: REUTERS

UPDATED Apr 24, 2025, 01:12 PM

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Norwegian athletes have been advised by the organisation responsible for training the country's elite competitors not to eat any type of meat while competing in China due to fears it could cause a positive doping test.

Olympiatoppen, which is part of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, stated that consuming meat could lead to the unintentional ingestion of banned substances, posing a small but real risk of testing positive.

The 2025 World Athletics Relays will take place in early May at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, while the Diamond League event in Shanghai is scheduled for May 3, where several Norwegian athletes are set to compete.

"Studies have shown that athletes have inadvertently ingested clenbuterol when eating meat in China, as some animals are fed hormones to promote growth. If a meat-based meal is consumed before a doping test, the athlete may test positive," Olympiatoppen stated in their guidelines, as seen by Reuters.