Kenya’s marathon star Ruth Chepngetich has been handed a three-year doping ban after admitting to anti-doping rule violations, though her women’s marathon world record of 2:09:56 remains valid since it was set before the positive test. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) imposed the sanction after hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic, was found in her system at levels well above anti-doping limits. Chepngetich initially denied wrongdoing but later claimed she unknowingly took her housemaid’s medication while ill. The AIU ruled her actions “reckless and indirectly intentional,” imposing a four-year ban, later reduced by one year due to her early admission. Chepngetich’s case highlights Kenya’s ongoing struggle with doping in elite distance running, amid a series of recent high-profile suspensions.
Aljazeera
