Kenya's Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong fails drug test, IAAF confirms

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Jemima Sumgong, who last year became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, has tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test carried out by the IAAF, the sport's governing body has confirmed.

"The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week," the International Association of Athletics Federations said in a statement.

"The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya.

"This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners."

If Sumgong's B sample is confirmed as positive and she is subsequently banned it will be a massive blow for African distance powerhouse Kenya.

The African nation greeted her Rio victory with near-delirium after a long and inexplicable barren spell over the classic distance at the Olympics.

Kenya took silver in the women's marathon at the three previous Games and a bronze in 2000, having previously failed to medal following the introduction of the women's race to the Games in 1984.

Sumgong, 32, had a stellar 2016, winning the London Marathon in April then claiming the elusive Olympic gold in Rio despite being disturbed by a protester on the course.

Jemima Sumgong's recent career: Finished fourth in Boston Marathon in 2014, then second in New York City Marathon

Won the London Marathon in April, despite falling during the race

Clinched gold in Rio to break Kenya's long Olympic marathon drought

Sumgong's former compatriot Eunice Jepkirui, who switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2013, took silver.

Eliud Kipchoge won the men's race to complete a Kenyan double.

Thursday's news comes in the wake of a four-year ban handed to Kenya's multi-marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, Sumgong's former training partner, after she tested positive for EPO in 2014.

Kenya's middle and long distance success has been marred by doping cases involving elite athletes. Officials estimate the number of positive tests at about 50 in the past four years.

The latest cases will be seen by observers as evidence of how the IAAF is making progress in the region after previous official criticism of anti-doping regimes in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Both countries have in the past been deemed non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) code.

Reuters

Topics: olympics-summer, marathon, sport, doping-in-sports, kenya</s>Jemima Sumgong, who last year became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test carried out by the IAAF in February, the sport’s governing body said on Thursday.

“The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong has commenced this week,” the IAAF said in a statement.

“The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya.

“This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group.”

If Sumgong’s B sample is confirmed as positive and she is subsequently banned it will be a massive blow for African distance powerhouse Kenya, where her Rio victory was greeted with near-delirium after such a long and inexplicable barren spell over the classic distance at the Olympics.

Kenya took silver in the women’s marathon at the three previous Games and a bronze in 2000 having failed to win a medal before that, after the race was introduced to the Games in 1984.

Sumgong was due to run in this year’s London Marathon, but will now not take part. “We are extremely disappointed to learn that Jemima Sumgong failed an out of competition drugs test in February,” said the organisers in a statement.

“She is currently suspended from competition pending the B test and the outcome of the investigation. Sumgong will therefore not run in London on 23 April to defend the title she won last year. She is currently the leader in the Abbott World Marathon Majors (Abbott WMM) Series X standings which concludes in Boston on 17 April. Under Abbott WMM rules, if she were to finish top of the rankings at conclusion of the Series, an athlete who fails a drug test and is banned is not eligible to win the Series or to receive any prize money.

“We are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping. In addition to testing operated by the IAAF and national federations, the Abbott WMM has set up one of the largest private testing pool of athletes in sport, with the aim being to test 150 competitors out of competition a minimum of six times a year.”

Sumgong, 32, had a stellar 2016, winning the London Marathon in April then claiming the elusive Olympic gold in Rio despite being disturbed by a protester on the course. Sumgong’s former compatriot Eunice Jepkirui, who switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2013, took silver. Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s race to complete a Kenyan double.

The news comes in the wake of a four-year ban handed to Kenya’s multi-marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, Sumgong’s former training partner, after she tested positive for EPO in 2014.

Kenya’s middle and long distance success has been marred by doping cases involving elite athletes. Officials estimate the number of positive tests at about 50 in the past four years.

The latest cases will be seen by observers as evidence of how the IAAF is making progress in the region after previous official criticism of anti-doping regimes in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Both countries have in the past been deemed non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) code.</s>(AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File). FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 file photo, Jemima Jelagat Sumgong of Kenya celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Olympic marathon champ...

(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File). FILE - In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 file photo, gold medalist Jemima Jelagat Sumgong of Kenya cries after the playing of the Kenyan national anthem following her victory in the women's marathon at the 2016 Summer Oly...

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File). FILE - In this Sunday, April 24, 2016 file photo, Jemima Sumgong of Kenya wins the women's race in the 2016 London Marathon in London. Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong tested positive for the blood booster ...

Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong tested positive for the blood booster EPO in a surprise out-of-competition doping test in Kenya, the IAAF said Friday, the biggest blow yet to the credibility of the East African country's famed distance-running program.

Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon at last year's Rio de Janeiro Games, is the reigning London Marathon champion, and was the points leader in the World Marathon Majors series. She was in line to receive a $250,000 bonus when the two-year cycle is completed in Boston on April 17. The series said it won't name a women's winner until doping officials have resolved her case.

"The athlete tested positive for EPO following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya," track and field's governing body said in a statement.

Sumgong's test was "part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing program dedicated to elite marathon runners," the IAAF said.

That program is run jointly by the IAAF and the World Marathon Majors series.

London Marathon organizers announced Sumgong failed the test in February and wouldn't be allowed to defend her title this month while she was provisionally suspended.

The Olympic champion is now the highest profile of dozens of Kenyan athletes to have failed doping tests since the 2012 London Olympics and her case puts the country's anti-doping failures back in the spotlight. The vast majority of Kenyan athletes to fail doping tests recently were lower level runners and officials had claimed that the top Olympians were clean.

Sumgong is also the second Kenyan woman to test positive for EPO while leading the world marathon series.

Rita Jeptoo was the top women's marathon runner in the world when she failed an out-of-competition test in Kenya in 2014. Initially given a two-year ban, Jeptoo's punishment was doubled to four years in 2016 after the IAAF appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a sterner sanction.

World Marathon Majors general manager Tim Hadzima said the series was distressed to learn of reports that Sumgong had failed a doping test but that, "if true, they indicate that we are gaining ground in our long-standing fight against doping."

Sumgong will now miss the London Marathon on April 23, the race's chief executive said.

"We are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping," Nick Bitel said.

Bitel said Sumgong's test was part of the world marathon series' efforts to target 150 top marathon runners in out-of-competition tests every year.

The World Marathon Majors awards prizes to runners with the top finishes over six of the most prestigious annual marathons, plus the Olympics and world championships.

Sumgong can request that her "B'' sample or backup sample is tested. If that is also positive for EPO she faces at least a two-year ban.

The 32-year-old Sumgong's victory in Rio capped an outstanding performance by Kenya in track and field at the Olympics, when the country finished second to the United States in the medal table. Eliud Kipchoge also won gold in the men's marathon for a Kenyan sweep.

But Kenya's Olympics were also undermined by a series of scandals involving coaches and officials, and its reputation has been seriously harmed by a spike in doping cases over the last five years.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Kenya's Jemima Sumgong will be barred from defending her London Marathon title later this month after it emerged she had failed a drugs test in February.

Sumgong, who also won the Olympic marathon title in Rio last summer, has been suspended pending the test on her B sample after an initial test was positive for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO.

A statement from Nick Bitel, the chief executive of London Marathon Events Limited said: "We are extremely disappointed to learn that Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) failed an out of competition drugs test in February. She is currently suspended from competition pending the B test and the outcome of the investigation.

"Sumgong will therefore not run in London on April 23 to defend the title she won last year.

"She is currently the leader in the Abbott World Marathon Majors (Abbott WMM) Series X standings which concludes in Boston on April 17. Under Abbott WMM rules, if she were to finish top of the rankings at conclusion of the Series, an athlete who fails a drug test and is banned is not eligible to win the Series or to receive any prize money."

"The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning the athlete Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week," an IAAF statement said.

"The athlete tested positive for EPO following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya. This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group."</s>Jemima Sumgong, who last year became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, has tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test carried out by the IAAF, the sport’s governing body said on Thursday.

“The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week, the International Association of Athletics Federations said in a statement. “The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya. “This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group.”

If Sumgong’s B sample is confirmed as positive and she is subsequently banned it will be a massive blow for African distance powerhouse Kenya, where her Rio victory was greeted with near-delirium after such a long and inexplicable barren spell over the classic distance at the Olympics.

Kenya took silver in the women’s marathon at the three previous Games and a bronze in 2000 having failed to medal before that after the race was introduced to the Games in 1984.

Sumgong, 32, had a stellar 2016, winning the London Marathon in April then claiming the elusive Olympic gold in Rio despite being disturbed by a protester on the course.

Sumgong’s former compatriot Eunice Jepkirui, who switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2013, took silver.

Thursday’s news comes in the wake of a four-year ban handed to Kenya’s multi-marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, Sumgong’s former training partner, after she tested positive for EPO in 2014.

Kenya’s middle and long distance success has been marred by doping cases involving elite athletes. Officials estimate the number of positive tests at about 50 in the past four years.

The latest cases will be seen by observers as evidence of how the IAAF is making progress in the region after previous official criticism of anti-doping regimes in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Both countries have in the past been deemed non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) code.

For all the latest Sports News, download Indian Express App now</s>Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong has tested positive for the blood booster EPO in a test in Kenya, the IAAF revealed on Friday.

The 32-year-old became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon at last year's Games in Rio, is the reigning London Marathon champion, and was the points leader in the World Marathon Majors series.

"We can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week," the IAAF said in a statement. "The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted in Kenya.

"This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group."

Sumgong is now the highest-profile athlete out of more than 40 Kenyan track-and-field competitors to have failed doping tests since the 2012 Olympics in London.

She can request that her "B" sample, or backup sample, is also tested - if that is also positive for EPO, she faces at least a two-year ban.</s>The 32-year-old tested positive for the banned substance EPO in a test by athletics governing body the IAAF.

Sumgong also won the 2016 London marathon and was due to defend her title later this month.

“We can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week,” the IAAF said in a statement.

“The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted in Kenya.

“This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group.”</s>Jemima Sumgong, the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold in the marathon when she triumphed in Rio last year, has failed an out-of-competition dope test, athletics officials said on Friday.

The 32-year-old, who is also the reigning London Marathon champion, tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO in a test by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in her native Kenya.

“The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning the athlete Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week,” the IAAF said.

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“The athlete tested positive for EPO following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya,” the sport’s ruling body added.

“This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group. The IAAF will make no further statement about this case until its conclusion.”

Read more | India ranked 3rd for third year in a row in WADA doping charts

Sumgong starred at the London Marathon last year, defying the odds to win despite suffering a bruising fall.

Steeled by her success in London, she then became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic marathon gold, defeating Ethiopia’s world champion Mare Dibaba in Rio to confirm her status as the world’s top marathon runner of 2016.

Before news of her positive drugs test emerged, Sumgong had vowed to defend her London title on April 23.

London Marathon organisers said they were “extremely disappointed” at Sumgong’s failed test.

Read more | New Zealand cricketer handed two-year ban for doping

“She is currently suspended from competition pending the B test and the outcome of the investigation. Sumgong will therefore not run in London on 23 April to defend the title she won last year,” announced the race’s chief executive Nick Bitel.

He added: “The London Marathon has always been at the forefront of the fight against doping. The race has a zero tolerance policy towards doping and athletes who are banned for a doping offence are banned for life from the event.”

At the Rio Olympics, Sumgong defied temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius (82F) to claim an historic gold medal in a race that finished at the city’s famed Sambodromo.

Read more | Will Usain Bolt get his Beijing relay gold back? Nesta Carter files CAS appeal

“I was never worried that I’d lose,” said Sumgong, who added that victory made up for a disappointing showing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “At the 40 kilometre mark I knew the gold was mine.”

Earlier this year, Sumgong was one of a number of top Kenyan athletes who welcomed a new initiative to eradicate doping, which has tarnished their image, agreeing to be monitored by doctors appointed by the IAAF and Athletics Kenya.

“It will be easy for us now to communicate with these doctors before we take any medicine when the need arises,” said Sumgong.

The move came after an investigation by German television channel ARD and Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper last July alleging that doping was rife at the elite training centre in Iten.

Read more | Olympic gold medallist Harper-Nelson banned after testing positive for doping

Sumgong’s former training partner, the 2014 Chicago and Boston Marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, is serving a four-year ban after also testing positive for EPO.

Kenyan athletics boss chief Jackson Tuwei has warned that any athlete who failed to comply would not be selected to represent the country in international competitions.

“Forty-nine athletes have been found to have violated the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) code in the past five years but were cautioned according to the laws of the land and WADA code,” said Tuwei.

News of Sumgong’s test was welcomed by other athletes. US distance runner Emma Coburn, a bronze medallist in the 3,000m steeplechase at last year’s Olympics, applauded the IAAF’s out-of-competition testing.

“Out of competition testing is so important!! Well done, IAAF. I hope to see more productive results from no-notice out of competition tests,” Coburn tweeted.</s>Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong tested positive for the blood booster EPO in a surprise out-of-competition doping test in Kenya, the IAAF said Friday, the biggest blow yet to the credibility of the East African country’s famed distance-running program.

Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon at last year’s Rio de Janeiro Games, is the reigning London Marathon champion, and was the points leader in the World Marathon Majors series. She was in line to receive a $250,000 bonus when the two-year cycle is completed in Boston on April 17. The series said it won’t name a women’s winner until doping officials have resolved her case.

“The athlete tested positive for EPO following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya,” track and field’s governing body said in a statement.

Sumgong’s test was “part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing program dedicated to elite marathon runners,” the IAAF said.

That program is run jointly by the IAAF and the World Marathon Majors series.

London Marathon organizers announced Sumgong failed the test in February and wouldn’t be allowed to defend her title this month while she was provisionally suspended.

The Olympic champion is now the highest profile of dozens of Kenyan athletes to have failed doping tests since the 2012 London Olympics and her case puts the country’s anti-doping failures back in the spotlight. The vast majority of Kenyan athletes to fail doping tests recently were lower level runners and officials had claimed that the top Olympians were clean.

Sumgong is also the second Kenyan woman to test positive for EPO while leading the world marathon series.

Rita Jeptoo was the top women’s marathon runner in the world when she failed an out-of-competition test in Kenya in 2014. Initially given a two-year ban, Jeptoo’s punishment was doubled to four years in 2016 after the IAAF appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a sterner sanction.

World Marathon Majors general manager Tim Hadzima said the series was distressed to learn of reports that Sumgong had failed a doping test but that, “if true, they indicate that we are gaining ground in our long-standing fight against doping.”

Sumgong will now miss the London Marathon on April 23, the race’s chief executive said.

“We are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping,” Nick Bitel said.

Bitel said Sumgong’s test was part of the world marathon series’ efforts to target 150 top marathon runners in out-of-competition tests every year.

The World Marathon Majors awards prizes to runners with the top finishes over six of the most prestigious annual marathons, plus the Olympics and world championships.

Sumgong can request that her “B” sample or backup sample is tested. If that is also positive for EPO she faces at least a two-year ban.

The 32-year-old Sumgong’s victory in Rio capped an outstanding performance by Kenya in track and field at the Olympics, when the country finished second to the United States in the medal table. Eliud Kipchoge also won gold in the men’s marathon for a Kenyan sweep.

But Kenya’s Olympics were also undermined by a series of scandals involving coaches and officials, and its reputation has been seriously harmed by a spike in doping cases over the last five years.</s>Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong tested positive for the blood booster EPO in a surprise test in Kenya, the IAAF said Friday, another damaging blow to the credibility of the East African country’s famed distance-running program.

Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon at last year’s Rio de Janeiro Games, is the reigning London Marathon champion, and was the points leader in the World Marathon Majors series. She was in line to receive a $250,000 bonus when the two-year cycle is completed in Boston on April 17. The series said it won’t name a women’s winner until doping officials have resolved her case.

”The athlete tested positive for EPO following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya,” track and field’s governing body said in a statement.

Sumgong’s test was ”part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing program dedicated to elite marathon runners,” the IAAF said.

Sumgong is now the highest profile of dozens of Kenyan athletes to have failed doping tests since the 2012 London Olympics and her case again puts the country’s anti-doping failures back in the spotlight.

Her failed test follows that of compatriot Rita Jeptoo, who was also the leading women’s marathon runner in the world when she tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test in Kenya in 2014. Initially given a two-year ban, Jeptoo’s punishment was doubled to four years in 2016 after the IAAF appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a sterner sanction.

World Marathon Majors general manager Tim Hadzima said the series was distressed to learn of reports that Sumgong had failed a doping test but that, ”if true, they indicate that we are gaining ground in our long-standing fight against doping.”

The World Marathon Majors awards prizes to runners with the top finishes over six of the most prestigious annual marathons, plus the Olympics and world championships.

Sumgong can request that her ”B” sample or backup sample is also tested. If that is also positive for EPO she faces at least a two-year ban.

The 32-year-old Sumgong’s victory in Rio capped an outstanding performance by Kenya in track and field at the Olympics, when the country finished second to the United States in the medal table. Eliud Kipchoge also won gold in the men’s marathon for a Kenyan sweep.

But Kenya’s Olympics were also undermined by a series of scandals involving coaches and officials, and its reputation has been seriously harmed by a spike in doping cases over the last five years.
In athletics, Jemima Sumgong, a Kenyan gold medallist in the women's marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics, tests positive for the banned substance EPO.