Kenyan long-distance runner Salome Jerono has been handed a hefty eight-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a second Anti Doping Rule Violation.
The 36-year old had been provisionally suspended by (AIU) having tested positive for banned substance Norandrosterone.
Jerono’s eight-year ban is due to the fact that she is a repeat offender, having been suspended for two years in 2013 after failing a drug test following her victory at the 2012 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.
Her suspension adds to the growing list of Kenyan athletes who have failed drug tests, hers being the fourth from the country to be suspended in the last two months after World Half Marathon record holder Abraham Kiptum, 2017 World Championship 5,000m representative Cyrus Rutto and Felix Kirwa.
In AIU’s statement released on Thursday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil reported an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the presence of 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone.
The test was conducted on her after she finished second at the Sao Paulo International Marathon in 2:37:33 seconds on April 7.
AIU further states Jerono was notified of the findings on June 5, and imposed a provisional suspension pending resolution of her case.
She was requested to provide an explanation for the presence of the banned substance in the A Sample and was afforded the opportunity to request analysis of the B Sample. AIU says the explanation provided by the athlete did not add up.
She claimed to have had an injection of Depo-Provera (Medroxyprogesterone) two weeks prior to the race. Further, she did not request analysis of the B Sample.
The AIU offered her the opportunity to either admit the Anti-Doping Rule Violations and accept an eight-year period of ineligibility, or to request a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal, by no later than July 4, an offer that she did not respond to.
Jeronowas given a final opportunity to respond on July 9 with a two-day response window or waive her chance for a tribunal hearing, an option she did not take up.
Failure to respond therefore deemed her to have admitted of the violation, forcing AIU’s hand.
Jerono’s ban now brings to 10 the number of Kenyan elite athletes that AIU has either suspended or banned for doping offenses.
2017 Tokyo Marathon champion Sarah Chepchirchir, three-time 1,500m world champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist Asbel Kiprop, Hilary Kepkosgei, Samson Mungai, Olympic marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong and Lucy Kabuu. -Agencies
