Kenyan Olympic Marathon Champion Tests Positive For Banned Substance

Kenyan long-distance runner Jemima Sumgong, who won the marathon at last year’s Rio Olympics and the London marathon, has tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance.

The world athletics body the IAAF said that an out-of-competition test showed she had traces of the blood-booster EPO. It delays the onset of fatigue, enabling an athlete to run harder and for longer.


There’s been no word so far about what action the authorities will take as a result of the test. Kenya was last year declared in breach of anti-doping rules, and athletes underwent special testing for Rio 2016.

The East African country was deemed “non-compliant” by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but was reinstated before last summer’s Games. Between 2011 and 2016, more than 40 Kenyan track-and-field athletes failed doping tests.