26th October 2016 – Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, has doping ban increased to four years and has been disqualified from the Boston marathon she won in 2014, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stated.
Rita Jeptoo – Doping Ban Extended
Jeptoo became Kenya‘s first high-profile athlete to fail a test and was originally banned for two years by Athletics Kenya after testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in September 2014 but world athletics’ governing IAAF challenged the ban and appealed to CAS for it to be increased.
The CAS panel found to its “comfortable satisfaction” that Jeptoo used EPO “over a period of time to enhance performance.”
The minimum sanction is two years but CAS found enough aggravating circumstances to double the ban and said it was obvious Jeptoo had used EPO “as part of a scheme or plan.”
CAS said the evidence included Jeptoo’s long relationship with her doctor, that her EPO use was “consistent with her competition calendar” and that she hid visits to her doctor from her coach and manager.
It added that her conduct was “deceptive and obstructive” throughout the proceedings.
CAS said the original two-year ban, due to end on Sunday, would be extended until October 30th, 2018 and Jeptoo would be disqualified from all races in which she had taken part since April 17th, 2014.
She is now banned until 30 October 2018 and has also been fined 15,000 Swiss francs (£12,396) as a contribution to the IAAF’s legal fees and expenses.
This includes the 2014 Boston marathon which she had won.
Jeptoo had already been disqualified from the Chicago marathon which she won the following October.
She keeps the Boston and Chicago marathon titles she claimed in 2013.
[…] 26th October 2016 – Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, has doping ban increased to four years and has been disqualified from the Boston marathon she won in 2014, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stated. Rita Jeptoo – Doping Ban Extended Jeptoo became Kenya‘s first high-profile athlete to fail a test and was originally […] Africa – Drugs in Sport […]