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≡ MORE KENYAN DOPING ≡
“The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepng’etich, for the Presence and Use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) relating to a sample collected from her on 14 March this year.”
Thursday’s stunning announcement included an explanation by AIU chief Brett Clothier (AUS):
“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. Chepng’etich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing.
“In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.”
The AIU statement also included a technical explanation:
● “HCTZ is a diuretic, used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. Under the WADA Code, it is a class S5 Prohibited Substance (Diuretics and Masking Agents), prohibited at all times and a Specified Substance. Diuretics may be abused to mask the presence in urine of other Prohibited Substances.”
● “A Specified Substance has a standard sanction of two (2) years’ ineligibility (subject to possible reduction or increase in accordance with WADA Code provisions).”
Chepngetich, now 30, won the 2019 women’s World Championships marathon in Doha (QAT) in 2:32:43, infamously started at midnight because of the heat. But she is best known for her stunning 2:09:56 Chicago Marathon win last October, in which she not only set the world record, but became the first woman to run under 2:11 and under 2:10!
She owns three of the top-10 women’s marathon times in history: 2:09:56 in Chicago last year, 2:14:18 in Chicago in 2022 (no. 5) and 2:15:37 in Chicago in 2023 (no. 9). She contested the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon, but did not finish.
In 15 career marathons, she has won nine times, been second twice, third once and ninth once in the 13 races she finished.
Her last race was a 1:06:20 runner-up finish at the Lisbon (POR) Half on 9 March of this year, five days before she took her positive test on 14 March.
Kenyan doping has been an enormous problem, with 139 individuals listed on the AIU’s roster of ineligible persons through 30 June 2025, more than any other country. Now, Chepngetich and Felix Kirui have been added since then.
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