Kenyan Athlete Banned for 6 Years, World Record Revoked.
Kenyan Athlete Banned for 6 Years, World Record Revoked: The Athletics Integrity Unit has banned World Championship 10,000 metres and 10-kilometre road-running world record-holder, Rhonex Kipruto from competitive athletic competitions for six years.
Consequently, The athlete will be stripped off some of the titles he has won during his career including the 10-kilometre road-running world record won in Valencia, Spain in 2020.
AIU explained that the decision was arrived at after tests conducted on samples he had provided showed that he had allegedly engaged in doping.
“This means the athlete’s 10-kilometre road-running world record in Valencia in 2020; 10,000 metres bronze medal in the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and 10,000 metres victory in the 2019 Stockholm Diamond League, among many other honours,” will be annulled, stated AIU.
In his defence Kipruto denied the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) charge, stating that the abnormalities detected were due to multiple factors such as natural and specific characteristics of his body, various medical conditions and health conditions.
The AIU panel, however dismissed his defence saying that the abnormalities were as a result of blood manipulation and not natural causes as explained by Kipruto.
AIU statement Further Read,”After considering submissions from experts, the Tribunal rejected Kipruto’s defence, concluding the “cause for the abnormalities in the ABP is more likely to be due to blood manipulation” such as through the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO), while pointing out there was “no other plausible explanation” for the abnormal values,”
“Between 9 July 2018 and 15 March 2022, 32 blood samples from the athlete were collected and analysed to create his biological passport. Three experts subsequently analysed the passport, while also reviewing the athlete’s whereabouts along with his competition schedule and deemed in a unanimous opinion that doping was “highly likely” based on a number of “abnormal haematological patterns,” the statement further reads.
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