© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated
The owner of the publication Let’s Run asked the Chicago Marathon winner a timely and salient question after her world record performance on Sunday, October 13. She, as the global media has widely reported, ran the Chicago Marathon in the time of 2:09:56 — fast for a man. This is a two-minute improvement on Tigst Assefa’s world record of 2:11:53. The Ethiopian ran that time in Berlin in 2023 and basically created the same response: “No way.”
The co-owner of Let’s Run, Robert Johnson, specifically asked Ruth Chepngetich about her marathon world record of 2:09:56 in an era when Kenya is deeply struggling with doping. It is a fair question. Kenya is indeed mightily struggling with doping, as well as experiencing some cases of related violence.
This matter is currently being discussed in the floor of the Kenya Parliament. They all agree an apology from Robert Johnson. https://t.co/uXRRcKCK2a
— Davis Munene (@Davis_Munene) October 16, 2024
“Ruth, unfortunately in recent years there’s been a number of doping positives in Kenya. What would you say to someone who says when they see 2:09:56, “This is too good to be true. I have questions about it.”
Chepngetich’s response was, “I don’t have any idea.”
Johnson, “Some people may think that the time is too fast and you must be doping. What would you say to them?”
“You know people must talk but…people must talk so I don’t know.”
While the exchange was passive, the implication was real and good for Johnson for asking.
Kenyan legends demand a clean-up
Recently marathon legend Tegla Loroupe of Kenya has called out her people. She has demanded that they not look for the easy way into the money. She blamed foreign coaches, super shoes and short-sighted Kenyan athletes. Former marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge has done the same.
Ababu Manwamba, the Kenyan Sports Cabinet Secretary said, “Kenya is in the midst of a doping crisis. This year alone (2022), there have been no less than 30 cases of doping which threatens to tarnish the good and shining image of Kenya as a sporting nation.”
Now thoroughly tarnished, Kipchoge has admitted that some of the Kenyan people, “lack morals.”
According to the publication, Athletics Weekly, 300 Kenyans have been suspended over the past few years for doping. Three hundred would decimate the athletics program of any other country. No so in Kenya.
The doping crisis is real
So, as we establish that there is a doping crisis in Kenya, perhaps it would be a good idea for Athletics Kenya, who also demanded an apology from Johnson and members of parliament, to focus on cleaning up their sport. Also, to clean up their pharmaceutical drug retail program. Currently, anyone may walk down a street in Nairobi and buy performance-enhancing drugs from streetside pharmacies without prescriptions and without the pharmacist batting an eye. Kenyan poverty, street-level extortion, bribery and freedom to dope are a recipe for disaster and disaster has struck hard.
Athletics Kenya should be deemed non-compliant by World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee until the organization cleans up its backyard.
Kenya needs to stop looking to blame the media, the fourth pillar of democracy. The role of media is to call into question authority like AK, for example.
Recently the government of Kenya decimated its budget that would allow continued testing of athletes. This happened after World Athletics provided $5 million USD to help the nation clean up its act. World Athletics also created the independent testing organization Athletics Integrity Unit. The World Anti-Doping Agency has placed doping control officers on the ground in Kenya and an accredited testing lab, something they previously lacked. These are significant investments. Meanwhile, Kenya only seems to want to blame outside media and outside coaches.
Whatever happened to the declaration by former Athletics Kenya president Isiah Kiplagat who demanded foreign coaches without accreditation to leave Kenya within one week, back in 2012?
Although there are foreign leeches who recruit Kenyan talent to earn money in Europe, North America and Asia, the reality is, that the everyday Kenyan athlete follows the money on their own.
