10km record holder suspended from competition due to suspicion of doping
Kipruto currently holds the record in the 10km distance, with a time of 26 minutes and 24 seconds at Valencia in January 2020. He is also the third fastest half marathon runner in history, with a best time (PB) of 57 minutes 49 seconds. Kipruto also won bronze at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha in the 10,000m, 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 banned substance or prohibited method in connection with the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
Runner Kenya was informed by AIU of some unusual details about ABP blood values from July 2018 to March 2022. The AIU did not directly accuse Kipruto of using banned substances, but the 28-year-old runner was temporarily suspended and asked for an explanation.
The purpose of the ABP is to monitor an athlete's blood value over a long period of time 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."
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 athletics coach Colm O'Connell - who has the nickname "Godfather of Kenyan runners". He has coached two-time Olympic champion David Rudisha and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat. According to a press release, O'Connell has not had a single case of doping in his 50-year coaching career.
O'Connell also considers Kipruto pure. He said: "I carefully choose who I work with and give my all. I know Kipruto is an honest person and it hurts to see him suffering right now. Our strategy is to train hard. only, and that's the only way for us to get results. I've said many times that I'm in favor of systematic anti-doping so that we can protect clean athletes like Kipruto."
British newspaper Guardian reported that Kipruto "faced an uphill struggle" to prove his innocence. If convicted, he faces a four-year ban and joins a list of 65 Kenyan athletes currently banned for doping. This list includes Boston Marathon 2021 champion Diana Kipyokei, who received a 6-year ban for using the banned drug triamcinolone acetonide, or Paris Marathon 2017 champion Purity Rionoripo, who received a 5-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.
