© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
Kenyan distance runner Shelia Chelangat has been banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a period of six years.
She was initially served with a provisional suspension in May 2025. While Chelangat had the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, that did not work out so well for her.
Chelangat was twice required to submit to in-competition tests, one was a urine sample, the other blood. Both resulted in positives for Erythropoietin (EPO), the red blood cell booster.
The 27-year-old was tested at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on September 15, 2024, and the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on March 7, 2025. Both are World Athletics labelled races; gold and platinum, respectively.
Her first urine sample came up negative, but upon further analysis requested by the AIU, it came out positive. Chelangat challenged the AIU with pushback on mislabelling the first test as from a blood sample. The organization corrected that fact, but maintained that she tested positive twice.
Chelangat continued to push back. She also continued to challenge the AIU on the initial error of her negative test being referenced as a blood test.
Arbiter Mr. Raj Parker presided and issued her a six-year suspension, effective May 20, 2025. She will be one month shy of her 33rd birthday before she can compete again.
