Former world marathon record holder Kipsang suspended for whereabouts failure

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NAIROBI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Another top Kenyan marathon runner Wilson Kipsang has been handed a temporary suspension by the World Athletics body- Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for whereabouts failure.

The former world marathon record holder has been provisionally suspended having not revealed his movements to the AIU agents as required by article 2.4 of the World Anti-Doping (WADA) code.

"Kipsang is suspended "for whereabouts failures and tampering", both violations of World Athletics' anti-doping rules," AIU said in a statement issued on Friday evening.

It means that Kipsang, 37, whose last win in marathon was back in March 2018 at the Tokushima marathon in Japan, has gone against article of 2.5 of the WADA code that entails-tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control.

Whereabouts information gives the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) the ability to locate athletes with no notice.

Kipsang's management team, Volare Sports Running, has since dismissed the suspension saying it does not hold water.

"There is no case of use of doping. No prohibited substance was found, The accusation regarding alleged tampering (article 2.5), concerns an explanation that was given in the results management process regarding possible whereabouts failure and does not concern tampering with a doping test itself," Volare Sports Running said on Saturday.

Under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, any combination of three whereabouts failures (Filing Failure and/or Missed Test) within a period of 12 months constitute an anti-doping rule violation, for which the applicable sanction, is two years' ineligibility subject to a reduction to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of fault.

Kipsang ever set a world record of 2 hours 3 minutes and 23 secnods in the 2013 Berlin marathon.

He has also won the London marathon in 2012 and 2014, when he also won in New York, and he claimed bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.

Kipsang has been on the forefront to sensitize fellow athletes against doping and his suspension comes as a shock to the athletics fraternity in the country.

He joins Rio Olympic Games marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong who was suspended in 2017, three-time Boston marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, who tested positive to Erythropoietin (Epo) in an out-of-competition in 2017.

Others are Abraham Kiptum, who had had set world half marathon record in 2018, Africa 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkirui and John Jacob Kibet Kendagor.

In total, over 60 athletes were suspended in the last two years alone from Kenya. Enditem

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