Faith Chepkoech, a promising 21-year-old in Kenyan athletics, has been handed a three-year suspension by the World Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following her admission to using banned substances. This ruling contributes to a troubling pattern of doping violations within the country, which has seen an increasing number of athletes banned from global competition.
Chepkoech had been rapidly ascending in the world of long-distance running, boasting three significant victories in 2024. She claimed the Women’s 5,000 meters title at the AK Track & Field Weekend Meeting in January, triumphed in the Castellón 10K in Spain in February, and most recently won the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in the United States in August. These successes positioned her as a potential future star for Kenya.
However, on July 26, 2024, Chepkoech’s urine sample tested positive for recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO), a substance known for its performance-enhancing effects, during an out-of-competition test in Iten. The findings were confirmed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Cologne on September 4, 2024.
In response to the positive result, the AIU imposed a provisional suspension on Chepkoech on September 6, 2024. She was made aware of her rights, including the option to request analysis of her B sample, which she chose not to pursue. During a meeting with AIU officials on September 13, Chepkoech revealed that she had been injected with an unidentified substance days prior to the test.
On September 22, she signed an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences form. This early admission resulted in a reduction of her initial four-year ban to three years, starting from September 6. As a result, all her competitive results since July 26, 2024, have been nullified, and she has forfeited titles, awards, and any prize money earned.
The AIU’s decision emphasizes a strict policy against doping, noting that Chepkoech waived her right to a tribunal hearing and accepted the consequences without contest. The ongoing doping crisis has cast a shadow over Kenya’s rich athletics tradition, with 82 athletes currently banned for doping violations as of 2024. Since 2015, the AIU has disqualified a total of 270 athletes, with Chepkoech’s case serving as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the nation in addressing this pressing issue.
