Former Commonwealth and African 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkirui is the latest Kenyan banned for doping violation.
Chepkirui has been banned for four years for doping violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old was first provisionally suspended in July 2019 for a discrepancy in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
However, in 2020, the former African women 10,000m champion appealed against her by ADAK at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) who ruled to dismiss the matter.
An oral hearing was requested by the CAS following a cross-appeal from the AIU upon which the ruling was made.
“The appeal, which was filed on March 5, 2021 by World Athletics with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision of the Sports Disputes Tribunal of the Republic of Kenya dated November 19, 2020, is upheld.
Chepkirui, who back in 2014 won the 10,000m Commonwealth gold in Glasgow, had appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) claiming the abnormalities in her ABP were due to medication and her diet.
CAS upheld an appeal filed by the AIU and banned Chepkirui for four years from June 28, 2019.
The athlete had been supported in her defence by Athletics Kenya and the Anti-Doping Association of Kenya.
Kenya is known for its middle and long-distance running pedigree but has suffered damage to its reputation due to a number of doping violations in recent years.
It remains in category “A” of the World Athletics and World Anti-Doping Agency watch list with 28 middle and long-distance runners having been banned for doping offences since 2017.