AIU Slaps World Bronze Medalist Bett With Four Year Ban

24th November 2018

The athlete risks missing on Tokyo 2020 Olympics and forthcoming two editions of IAAF World Championships

 Kipyegon Bett of Kenya wins the 800m at the IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016.PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES
Kipyegon Bett of Kenya wins the 800m at the IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016.PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES
SUMMARY
  • World 800m bronze medalist, Kipyegon Bett,  has been slapped with a four year ban  by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for testing positive for the prohibited substance Erythropoietin (EPO)
  • The consequences of the ruling will see  the athlete  forfeits any medals , titles, awards, points, prize and apperance money received on Februray 24 ,2018 to  August 15, 2018
  • Kenyan athletes  currently serving  suspensions for doping offences are Three-time Boston Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo and Jemimah Sumgong, the Olympic marathon gold medallist at Rio 2016,Athens Marathon champion Samuel Kalalei, distance runner Lucy Wangui Kabuu and sprinter Boniface Mweresa

MONACO, France- World 800m bronze medalist, Kipyegon Bett,  has been slapped with a four year ban  by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for testing positive for the prohibited substance Erythropoietin (EPO).

The ruling made by the AIU on Friday may see the athlete miss out on  Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the  next two editions  of IAAF World Championships.

The AIU thus stated in its  29 page decision: Mr.  Bett had violated  Article 2.3 ADR in that he intentionally refused to submit to Sample collection on February 24, 2018.

Mr Bett had violated 2.1 and 2.2 ADR in that he used a prohibited substance and that a prohibited substance was found to be present in his urine sample numbered 3122261 provided out of competition on July 31, 2018.

A four year period of Ineligibility is imposed on Bett, which shall run from 15 August 2018 and shall end  on 14 August 2022.

The consequences of the ruling will see  the athlete  forfeits any medals , titles, awards, points, prize and appearance money received on February 24 ,2018 to  August 15, 2018.

The 20 year-old has also been ordered to pay £500 (KSh66,000) to AIU as a contribution toward the legal fees incurred  in the proceedings.

Doping offenses

However, Bett, who was already serving a provisional suspension for evading a doping test at the time of the announcement,has  a right to appeal against the ruling in accordance  with Article 13 ADR and its subsections.

Bett bagged bronze in  men’s 800m at the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in London, a year after  winning the junior title in the same category.

Kenyan athletes  currently serving  suspensions for doping offences are Three-time Boston Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo and Jemimah Sumgong, the Olympic marathon gold medalist at Rio 2016,Athens Marathon champion Samuel Kalalei, distance runner Lucy Wangui Kabuu and sprinter Boniface Mweresa.

A case is also pending against three-time world champion and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medalist Asbel Kiprop after he tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test in November 2017

Reigning Olympic steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet, who now represents Bahrain but continues to train and live in Kenya where she was born, has also been suspended since February following an EPO failure.

 

-Materials used to compile this article sourced at  www.athleticsintegrity.org and www.insidethegames.biz