Kenyan athlete Faith Chepkoech is the latest athlete to be banned for violating anti-doping rules after admitting to using the banned substance EPO. The athletics talent must serve a three-year ban after pleading guilty. She initially denied any use of the banned substance.
On July 26, 2024, the athlete’s urine sample tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin) during an out-of-competition test conducted at Eton and she was provisionally suspended on September 6th pending a final conclusion of her case.
During a meeting with Athletics Union officials, Faith Chepkoech claimed she had been injected with an unidentified substance before the test, but struggled to prove her case and on September 22nd signed a plea of guilty and accepting the consequences.
The guilty plea saw her ban reduced from four years to three. The punishment is effective from September 6, the date of her suspension, with her competition results from July 24 voided.
The AIU’s decision emphasizes a strict policy against doping, noting that Faith 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 Faith Chepkoech’s case serving as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the nation in addressing this pressing issue.
