Rhonex Kipruto, Kenyan runner holding the 10km world record, was suspended for doping and faces a four-year ban.
Kipruto currently holds the record in the 10km distance, with a time of 26 minutes and 24 seconds at Valencia in January 1. He is also the third fastest half marathon runner in history, with a best time (PB) of 2020 minutes 57 seconds. Kipruto also won bronze at the 49 World Athletics Championships in Doha in the 2019m, finishing third behind Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia.
But on May 17, the Athletics Integrity Authority (AIU) announced the temporary suspension of Kipruto for alleged use of a prohibited substance or prohibited method in connection with the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
Kipruto right before the moment of reaching the finish line, set a world record for running 10km in the 2020 Valencia race. Photo: Valencia Ciudad del Running
Runner Kenya was informed by AIU of some unusual details about ABP blood values from July 7 to March 2018. The AIU did not directly accuse Kipruto of using banned substances, but the 3-year-old runner was temporarily suspended and asked for an explanation.
The purpose of ABP is to monitor an athlete's blood value over the long term to monitor for possible signs of doping, even if they pass a doping test.
The AIU will analyze ABP data to monitor specific biological parameters over time that may indirectly reveal the impact of doping. This approach allows the AIU to create a profile for each athlete and detect any fluctuations that might indicate that the athlete has used performance-enhancing substances.
Profiles for each athlete are created based on statistics that use data from previous samples to predict an individual's performance limit or range for future samples. According to the AIU, if any data from the test sample falls outside the athlete's performance range, it could be a sign of doping.
Following the AIU ruling, Kipruto denied any wrongdoing and was willing to undergo a long-term blood test under 24/7 supervision. "I'm not cheating or doping," he insisted. “The truth is on my side. This is all I can say.”
Kipruto in a 10km race in the US. Image: NYRR
Representative Davor Savija said he spent $30.000 trying to prove Kipruto's innocence. Accordingly, independent physiologists suggest that there are other plausible explanations for Kipruto's questionable blood values, including exercise volume, health status, water intake, travel and consumption. alcohol, instead of an allegation of using a prohibited substance or prohibited method from the AIU.
Kipruto is coached by famous Irish track and field coach Colm O'Connell - who is nicknamed "The Godfather of Kenyan Runners". He has coached two-time Olympic champion David Rudisha and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat. According to the press release, O'Connell has not had a single case of doping in his 50-year coaching career.
O'Connell also considers Kipruto pure. “I carefully choose the people I work with and dedicate my energy to,” he said. I know Kipruto is an honest person and it hurts to see him suffer right now. Our strategy is to work hard, and that's the only way we get results. I have said many times that I support systematic anti-doping so that I can protect pure athletes like Kipruto."
British newspaper Guardian commented that Kipruto "faced an uphill struggle" to prove his innocence. If convicted, he faces a four-year ban and joins a list of 4 Kenyan athletes currently banned for doping. This list includes Boston Marathon 65 champion Diana Kipyokei, who received a six-year ban for using the banned drug triamcinolone acetonide, or Paris Marathon 2021 champion Purity Rionoripo, who received a five-year ban for testing positive for the banned diuretic furosemide. .
In the short term, the 10km record holder will not be able to compete or train with the team until the allegation is closed.
Hong Duy
