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S. GitahiAIU provisionally suspends four Kenyan marathoners
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 06.11.23. | 18:02
The list includes nine new names, with some of the cases backdated from July until now
The Athletics Integrity Unit on Monday 6 November provisionally suspended four Kenyan athletes for separate doping offenses.
The updated list, which had a total of nine athletes, included suspensions some of them which had been back-dated from July this year, with AIU explaining that they were “delayed due to prolonged investigations in those cases.”
Among the Kenyans on the list is James Gikunga Karanja, who has been suspended for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Norandrosterone).
The marathoner, who took top honors at the Krabi half marathon in August last year, recently claimed the Alor Setar Half Marathon in April, clocking a leading time of 1:15.05.
Joining him is Esther Birundu Borura, who has been flagged for presence or use of the similar prohibited substance - Norandrosterone.
Her case is dated 6 September 2023.
The AIU has today published provisional suspensions for the following nine athletes (some back-dated from July until now): Yousef Mohammed Al-Asiri (Saudi Arabia), Rebecca Jepchirchir Korir (Kenya), John Hakizimana (Rwanda), James Gikunga Karanja (Kenya) (...) pic.twitter.com/dtvsyL8RDK
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) November 6, 2023
Istanbul Half Marathon Purity Temutai Komen, whose case backdates to July, suffers suspension for two offenses however: presence of a Prohibited Substance (Norandrosterone), and evading sample collection.
Capping off the list is marathoner Rebecca Jepchirchir Korir, provisionally suspended for Presence of a Prohibited Substance (Methylprednisolone).
The 31 year old in August this year won the Harbin Marathon in China in a time of 2:30.34.
Other athletes in the updated list include: John Hakizimana (Rwanda), Vilmante Stašauskaitė (Lithuania), Farida Soliyeva (Uzbekistan), Yousef Mohammed Al-Asiri (Saudi Arabia) and John Tello Zuniga of Colombia.
Under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, a provisional suspension is when an athlete or other person is suspended temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in Athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.
