On May 17, 2023 Athletics Illustrated reported that Kenyan distance runner, Rhonex Kipruto, had been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an athlete biological passport (ABP) anomaly.

The AIU report now that the World Championship 10,000 metres bronze medallist and 10-kilometre road-running world record-holder, has been banned for six years after a Disciplinary Tribunal ruled irregularities in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) resulted from doping.

After considering submissions from experts, the Tribunal rejected Kipruto’s defence, concluding the “cause for the abnormalities in the ABP is more likely to be due to blood manipulation” such as through the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO), while pointing out there was “no other plausible explanation” for the abnormal values.

The 24-year-old Kenyan was provisionally suspended under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) – ADR 2.2 relating to the “Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method” – after irregularities were detected in his ABP
dating back to July 2018. He is now banned until 10 May 2029 and will have some top honours disqualified.

Between 9 July 2018 and 15 March 2022, 32 blood samples from the athlete were collected and analyzed to create his biological passport. Three experts subsequently analysed the passport, while also reviewing the athlete’s Whereabouts along with his competition schedule and
deemed in a unanimous opinion that doping was “highly likely” based on a number of “abnormal hematological patterns.”

Kipruto denied the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) charge, contending that his ABP abnormalities were due to multiple factors such as natural and specific characteristics of his body, various medical conditions and health conditions.

“Having reviewed and considered carefully the totality of the Athlete’s evidence, the Panel is comfortably satisfied that (the AIU) has discharged its burden of proof and established that the Athlete has committed an ADRV,” the panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal concluded.
In reaching its decision, the Disciplinary Tribunal said “The Expert Panel thoroughly analyzed all arguments put forward by the Athlete and clearly demonstrated each time, by presenting supporting scientific evidence, why the Athlete’s arguments could not explain the
abnormalities in the Passport”.

In the Panel’s view:

  • the Athlete was involved in a deliberate and sophisticated doping regime over a long period of time in order to artificially enhance his performance through doping.
  • Several abnormalities found in the Athlete’s ABP were linked to important competitions including the Valencia Half Marathon in 2020 and Kenyan Olympic Trials in 2021.
  • Blood doping outside of competitions can also be used to gain an advantage as it permits more intense training and this has an obvious effect on performance even after a significant period of time. This is corroborated by the fact that in recent years many
    athletes have been found positive for EPO far outside of competition.

Details here: https://bit.ly/World-Athletics-v-Rhonex-Kipruto-Decision

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