Celestine Chepchirchir given a 3-year ban for doping.

Celestine Chepchirchir, a Kenyan road runner, has been banned from competing for three years for violating the anti-doping rules of World Athletics.

The 28-year-old athlete provided a urine sample out-of-competition in Kapsabet on February 9, 2024, which tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites. 

The laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, identified the presence of testosterone and its metabolites, including Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, 5α-androstane-3α,17 diol, and 5β-androstane-3α,17 diol, as being of exogenous origin, according to the official statement by AIU.

“Ms. Celestine Chepchirchir did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption that would justify the presence of these substances,” the AIU confirmed. 

The ruling added that there was no departure from the International Standard for Testing and Investigations or the International Standard for Laboratories that could explain the adverse finding.

The athlete faced a mandatory four-year period of ineligibility for such a violation under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines. 

However, Celestine’s immediate acknowledgement of the violation and acceptance of the consequences, the ban was reduced to three years.

“The athlete did not reply within the initial deadline but subsequently signed an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form,” the AIU reported.

Celestine Chepchirchir’s ban will start from March 26, 2024, which is the date when her provisional suspension was initially imposed.

 All of her results after February 9, 2024, will be invalidated, and any associated titles, awards, medals, points, prizes, and appearance money will be forfeited. 

WADA and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) retain the right to appeal the decision, which could be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

The AIU is committed to transparency and fairness in handling doping cases in athletics, and therefore, this decision will be publicly reported on its website. 

This case is yet another example of a series of doping incidents involving Kenyan athletes, which has brought global attention to the country’s sports programs.

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