Doping scourge: Concerns as more athletes repeat offences

Under normal circumstances, athletes who are found to have violated anti-doping rules either reform or repent as they plot comebacks.

But a worrying trend is sending shockwaves across the sporting world.

More athletics stars who have been caught offside in the game of clean sport are repeating mistakes instead of repenting, and returning to competition arenas, pure.

Concerns are being raised over the repeated doping test failures, even as Kenya celebrates removal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliance watch list.

Among several repeat offenders, the 2015 Nagano Commemorative marathon champion Beatrice Toroitich holds a record of being sanctioned three times.

Toroitich was slapped with a life ban on November 20, 2023, after failing doping tests for the third time.

“The anti-doping rule violations arising from the first adverse analytical finding, the second adverse analytical finding and the third adverse analytical finding constitute the athlete’s second and third anti-doping rule violations,” Athletics Integrity Unit found in 2023.

She was accused of violating rule 10.9.1 (b) which states that “A third anti-doping rule violation will always result in a lifetime period of ineligibility, except if the third violation fulfils the condition for reduction of the period of ineligibility under rule 10.6 or involves a violation of rule 2.4. in these particular cases, the period of ineligibility will range from eight years to lifetime.”

“The athlete’s third anti-doping rule violation does not fulfill any condition for reduction of the period of ineligibility under rule 10.6. Therefore, the period of ineligibility to be imposed is a lifetime period of ineligibility,” the unit said in its decision against Torotich.

Rita Jeptoo, one of the country’s most decorated marathoners, is once again finding herself in trouble.

The 45-year-old legend has been provisionally suspended by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) for an alleged presence of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) a few years after her return to the sport.

Jeptoo had been handed a two-year ban after a sample she had provided before winning in Chicago that year tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO) in September 2014.

In 2016, the ban was increased to four years following a World Athletics appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Consequently, her Boston and Chicago Marathon victories were disqualified following the anti-doping rule violation.

She, however, had Chicago, Boston (two-time) and Stockholm marathon victories as well as wins from Lisbon and Paris 21km races.

ADAK has also suspended Paul Lonyagata, who was returning to completion after serving a 19-month ban, after he was found to have used Furosemide, a prohibited substance.

Lonyangata won the Paris Marathon in 2017 and 2018 and was the third-place finisher in 2019. He was banned from competition until May 25, 2023.

But in the last anti-doping swoop, ADAK provisionally suspended Lonyangata for whereabouts failures, another anti-doping rule violation.

If found guilty, the marathon star might find himself serving another ban, even before making waves in his comeback.

In 2022, just months after returning to competition after a previous ban, Mathew Kisorio was slapped with a four-year ban for whereabouts failures.

Kisorio, a 36-year-old decorated cross-country and half-marathon star, was caught offside twice, once in 2012 and the latest violation in 2022.

He is currently eligible to compete as his four-year ban comes to an end this Saturday.

“On the basis that the Athlete is deemed to have admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Rule 2.4 ADR and accepted the Consequences set out in the Charge, the AIU confirms by this decision the following Consequences for a second Anti-Doping Rule Violation: a period of ineligibility of four (4) years commencing on the date of this decision, with credit for the period of Provisional Suspension since 8 March 2022 (which is, until 7 March 2026);”

“This matter constitutes the Athlete’s second Anti-Doping Rule Violation; the Athlete has previously served a period of Ineligibility of two (2) years from 11 July 2012 to 10 July 2014 for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation based on the presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Sample collected on 14 June 2012,” AIU ruled in 2022.

Other athletes who have found themselves repeating anti-doping offences include Sarah Chepchirchir, who was banned for four years between 2019 and 2023, which was followed by an eight-year ineligibility after testing positive for testosterone the same year she completed serving the first ban.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya on Wednesday said while the country celebrates removal from the compliance watch list, the country should be cognizant of its responsibility to continuously comply with global anti-doping requirements.

“The government will continue to strengthen anti-doping systems through sustained investment in testing programmes, intelligence-led investigations, education and awareness initiatives, and robust legal governance frameworks that support the fight against doping," Mvurya said.