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On August 6, it was reported that Kenyan athlete Judy Kemboi had tested positive for the banned diuretic and masking agent hydrochlorothiazide. This is the same product that world marathon record holder Ruth Chepngetich tested positive for.
Kemboi was provisionally suspended and therefore given the opportunity to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She responded with an admission of guilt the next day, on August 7.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) issued a two-year suspension after the 26-year-old’s response, which was announced on August 11.
The issue at hand is that Kemboi (and Chepngetich) was most likely covering up the usage of other performance-enhancing drugs.
When an athlete is caught for using a cocktail of drugs to enhance performance, the suspension is longer. The AIU has commonly issued six to eight-year suspensions for the use of multiple PEDs.
The 1:05:43 half-marathon runner could be back in two years, well-trained and ready to steal prize money from other athletes by doping again.
The good news is that the World Anti-Doping Agency can keep samples for 10 years. As testing improves and drug-taking evolves, the long arm of the law can reach back and suspend athletes up to a decade after the date of the positive test.
