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
- 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