Four more Kenyan athletes suspended over doping as list of shame keeps growing

Kenyan long distance runner Panuel Mkungo.

Four more Kenyan athletes suspended over doping as list of shame keeps growing

Joel Omotto 06:00 - 21.06.2024

Four more Kenyan athletes have joined the list of shame after being provisionally suspended for various doping offences by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya.

Four Kenyan athletes have been suspended over doping as the list of shame grows bigger.

Among them are little-known long and short distance athletes led by sprinter Samuel Kimani Wanjiru and marathoner Panuel Mkungo.

The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) released the list on Thursday and it includes the four Kenyans alongside a Brazilian athlete.

Wanjiru, who specialises in 200m and 400m, was suspended for the presence of prohibited substance S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/methasterone while Mkungo was found to have used prohibited substances S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/Testosterone.

Of the five, Taita Taveta native Mkungo is the big name after representing Kenya at various international events.

The 2023 Istanbul Marathon champion represented Kenya in the half marathon at the delayed 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana in March this year where he finished sixth, having managed a fourth-place finish in the 2019 edition of the event.

As it is becoming a norm with doping cases involving Kenyan athletes, marathoners who feature in lower tier races are increasing falling foul of the rules with Mkungo having specialised in such events given he has won in Zabgreb, Croatia, Arezzo and Terme, both in Italy.

Meanwhile, US-based 1,500m runner Brian Kiptoo has also been suspended over the use of prohibited substance S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/19-norandrosterone as well as long distance runner Victor Kiptoo, the reigning Mainz Half Marathon champion, for testing positive for S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/methasterone and its metabolites.

Brazilian athlete Zarri Graziele interestingly also made the list for using prohibited substances S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/Testosterone and it seems like she was tested while in the country.

The list of shame keeps growing with Kenya still in Category A, being countries most at risk over doping. It comes less than one month after ADAK suspended 33 athletes for various violations.

World 10km Rhonex Kipruto was also handed a six-year ban just a day after, with his wins and record stripped off.

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