Aurore Fleury, a two-time French 1500m champion, has been handed a six-month suspension after betting on the victory of her teammate Alice Finot at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the sanction on Thursday, citing a breach of World Athletics betting rules. Fleury placed a €2,000 ($2376 USD) wager on Finot to win the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final. Finot did just that, earning Fleury €5,000 ($5940 USD).
Under World Athletics regulations, athletes and other “applicable persons” are banned from betting on any athletics event, regardless of whether they are competing.
The AIU has sanctioned 3 athletes in relation to betting. Please see our press release https://t.co/Ln2SmkEPt6 and the posts below. pic.twitter.com/LA2nWscGUm
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) January 29, 2026
A Private bet that didn’t stay private
At the time of the championships, Fleury was not selected to race in Rome. Then 30, she was still trying to regain form after a run of injuries, including ongoing plantar fasciitis. Her last major championship appearance had come two years earlier, at the 2022 European Championships in Munich.
Even so, Fleury is not a fringe figure. She won French national titles over 1500m outdoors in 2021 and indoors in 2022 and has five senior international caps. She is also close with Finot, who entered the Rome steeplechase as the clear favorite.
Bookmakers reflected that status, listing Finot at odds of around 2.5. Fleury placed her bet on June 9, 2024, using an account in her own name.
Finot dominated the race, though not without late drama. She was briefly disqualified after a borderline foot placement exiting the water jump, then reinstated and confirmed as European champion.
The situation might have stayed a rumor within French middle-distance circles if not for one detail: Fleury posted her winnings on social media. That post eventually reached the AIU, triggering a formal investigation into the bet and whether similar behavior had occurred.
“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong”
Fleury admitted to the wager and cooperated with investigators. She told the AIU she did not know the bet violated World Athletics rules.
“She acknowledged this infraction to the AIU, but stated that she was unaware it constituted a violation of World Athletics rules and regulations,” the body said in its decision.
In interviews with Vosges Matin, Fleury stressed that she never tried to conceal what she had done.
“It never crossed my mind that I wasn’t allowed to place this bet,” she said. “As proof, I registered on this site with my own name without the slightest hesitation.”
She described the moment as spontaneous rather than calculated.
“We were spending an evening with friends watching the Euros. We were having a great time and decided to place a bet,” Fleury said. “I couldn’t have known that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.”
Six months on the sidelines
The AIU imposed a six-month ban starting September 1, 2025, along with a €3,000 ($3566 USD) fine to be donated to charity. Fleury will be eligible to return to competition in March 2026.
The integrity unit said her case was treated as more serious than recent betting violations because of the amount wagered. Earlier this week, the AIU also announced sanctions against German discus throwers Henrik Janssen and Steven Richter, who bet €100 ($118) and €40 ($48) respectively on events at the 2023 World Championships in Tokyo. Both received three-month bans.
All three athletes admitted their violations and cited a lack of education around betting rules as a factor. As part of their sanctions, they must complete the International Olympic Committee’s online training on competition manipulation.
Brett Clothier, the AIU’s head, said the case was a reminder that betting rules are non-negotiable.
“The AIU maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards breaches of the betting rules as they strike at the heart of the integrity of sport,” Clothier said. “There is no place in athletics for this prohibited activity.”
He added that athletes and federations need to do more to ensure competitors understand the rules before mistakes turn into sanctions.
Fleury, who ran 4:04.41 for 1,500m last summer, close to her personal best, has said she is now focused on recovering from surgery performed at the end of 2025. Her last race was an 800m in August in Pfungstadt, Germany.
