Rhonex Kipruto, the world 10km road race record holder and 2019 World Championships 10,000 meters bronze medalist, has been handed a six-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) due to irregularities in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
As a result, Kipruto, 24, will forfeit his 10km road race world record set in 2020 in Valencia and his World Championship bronze medal won in Qatar.
Initially provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation in May last year, Kipruto is now banned until May 10, 2029.
“The AIU has banned Rhonex Kipruto (Kenya) for six years, from 11 May 2023, for the use of a prohibited substance/method (ABP case). Disqualified results from 2 September 2018 to 11 May 2023,” the AIU said in a statement.
The Disciplinary Tribunal found irregularities in Kipruto’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), indicating possible blood manipulation through substances like recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO).
Despite Kipruto’s denial of the charges, the panel concluded he was involved in a “deliberate and sophisticated doping regime over a long period of time.”
“The ABP is a critical tool in the quest to combat doping in elite athletes and this decision upholds important principles relating to ABP cases,” said AIU Head Brett Clothier.
“It can be difficult to directly detect the substances or methods used by sophisticated dopers, but the ABP gives us a chance to observe the telltale signs of blood doping over time. For this reason, the AIU conducted more than 4,700 ABP tests in 2023 on elite athletes and we will continue to invest heavily in our ABP program going forward.”
Kipruto can still appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. His case highlights a growing issue within Kenya’s athletics community, adding to the increasing list of Kenyan athletes sanctioned for doping.
