October 14, (THEWILL) – The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) stated on Friday, that the winner of the 2017 Boston Marathon, Diana Chemtai Kipyokei, and her Kenyan teammate, Betty Wilson Lempus, have been placed on temporary suspension due to anti-doping rule infractions.
The two athletes were charged with falsifying evidence, “including obstructing or delaying the AIU’s investigation through the provision of false information or documentation.”
Triamcinolone, a substance which was still legal in some forms in 2021 until being completely banned in January this year, was detected in both of the pair’s tests carried out last year. The 28-year-old Kipyokei tested positive after winning the Boston marathon in 2021, while 31-year-old Lempus was initially cleared by French anti-doping authorities after winning the Paris half-marathon in 2021. However, the AIU later looked into the runner’s explanation and found that it was suspect.
The two suspensions come three days after that of Mark Kangogo, another Kenyan and trail runner who won the Sierre-Zinal in August and tested positive for triamcinolone. It makes Kipyokei and Lempus the 22nd and 23rd Kenyan athletes to be suspended in 2022.
Kenya has been categorised as a category A nation by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2016. (WADA).
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
