Italians on Mawia's case with suspension putting stellar career at risk

A provisional suspension is never a career-ending occurrence for some athletes but for many, rarely do they recover. 

Will this be the story of Kenya's cross country sensation Lucy Mawia? It is to be noted, however, that provisional suspensions are not an admission or sentence of guilt. 

As Kenya continues to grapple with the almost-crippling doping menace that has threatened the very sport the country prides itself in, she is the latest to bite the doping dust, after being provisionally suspended by the Italian Athletics federation. 

As per the Italian anti-doping agency, Mawia’s sample was found positive for the presence of Efedrina, Oxycodone, and its metabolite Oxymorphone. 

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“The National Anti-Doping Tribunal, accepting the instance proposed by the National Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office, has provisionally suspended the athlete Lucy Mawia Muli (FIDAL member) for the violation of articles 2.1 e 2.2 (substance detected: EFEDRINA, OXYCODONE AND ITS METABOLITE OXYMORPHONE). The test was carried out by NADO Italia," the statement by Nado Italia Anti-Doping reads. 

The 26-year-old Kenyan has been in stellar form in the last few seasons or so.

She finished as joint leaders with Eritrea’s Rahel Daniel, in the 2022-2023 World Athletics Cross Country Tour with perfect scores of 3720 from their best three marks in the series.

Mawia, runner-up to Daniel in the previous edition of the competition, had dominated the races at the start of the tour, winning in Bydgoszcz in October and in Soria and Alcobendas in November. 

This year, the Kenyan has been on the roads as recently as 17 March where she clocked 15:05 in the 5km Route de Lille for sixth place.