Kenyan athlete Achol suspended after positive doping test

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Kenyan athlete Emmaculate Anyango Achol, who set the second-fastest 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) time in history earlier this year, has been provisionally suspended due to a positive doping test, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday.

"The AIU has provisionally suspended Emmaculate Anyango Achol (Kenya) for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Testosterone and EPO)," the AIU said in a statement.

She tested positive for testosterone and EPO, necessitating an immediate suspension while further investigations are carried out, the statement added.

Achol’s remarkable performance came at the 10 kilometers Valencia Ibercaja road race in Spain in January of this year, when she finished in 28:57, just behind her fellow Kenyan Agnes Ngetich’s world record of 28:46. She is regarded as one of the rising stars in Kenyan athletics, a powerhouse in long-distance running.

This is the latest doping case involving Kenyan athletes.

In recent years, several high-profile runners, including former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang and 2016 Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, have been banned for doping violations.

These cases have cast a shadow over Kenya's dominance in the global athletics scene.

Kenya, renowned for producing elite long-distance runners, has come under increasing scrutiny from global anti-doping organizations as doping cases emerge.