Former Marathon World record holder Wilson Kipsang has been suspended by International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) for two separate anti-doping violations; whereabouts failures and tampering.
The 37-year-old Kenyan suspension was disclosed on Friday with AIU indicating that he has been suspended from participating in any athletics competition until his hearing takes place.
Kipsang claimed the world record clocking 2hr 3min 23sec in the 2013 Berlin marathon.
“The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich of Kenya for whereabouts failures & tampering, both violations of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules,” AIU announced on Twitter.
It is not the first time he has fallen under the doping radar. In September 2014, he escaped punishment when he missed an out-of-competition drug test.
In the latest accusation, his management, Volare Sports, has defended Kipsang stating that he has not failed a drugs test.
“We emphasize that there is no case of the use of doping. No prohibited substance was found. The accusation regarding alleged/attempted tampering (article 2.5) concerns an explanation that was given in the results management process regarding a possible Whereabouts Failure and does not concern tampering with a doping test itself,” reads part of the statement.
Kipsang joins the 2016 Rio Olympic Games marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong who was suspended in 2017 for four years and three-time Boston Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo.
Last year alone over forty athletes were suspended by AIU and Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) as Athletics Kenya warned that more Kenyan athletes could fall to Athletes Biological Passport (ABP) discrepancy.
