The 39-year-old Kenyan runner Sarah Chepchirchir has been suspended for eight years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for her second anti-doping rule violation. She was previously banned from 2019 until 2023.
Chepchirchir received the ban due to the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Testosterone), leading to the disqualification of her results from November 5, 2023. The AIU disclosed that she provided a urine sample post her participation in the Bangsaen42 Chonburi Marathon held in Chonburi, Thailand.
Analysis conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Bangkok detected the presence of Metabolites of Testosterone consistent with exogenous origin, termed as the “Adverse Analytical Finding.” Testosterone, classified as a Non-Specified Substance prohibited at all times under the S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids category of the WADA 2023 Prohibited List, played a central role in this case.
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The AIU emphasized Chepchirchir’s prior four-year ineligibility period from February 6, 2019, to February 5, 2023, stemming from an Anti-Doping Rule Violation based on abnormal values in the hematological module of her Athlete Biological Passport.
Effective from December 22, 2023, to December 21, 2031, the recent ban entails the nullification of Chepchirchir’s results since November 5, 2023. This encompasses the forfeiture of any associated titles, awards, medals, points prize, and appearance money. The AIU explicitly stated that the athlete is considered to have acknowledged these consequences, waiving her right to contest them before the Disciplinary Tribunal.
