Kenya’s best known runner David Rudisha has alleged in the past that Athletics Kenya should have done more to root out drug cheats as persistent doping claims had tarnished the reputation of clean Kenyan runners.
Reuters/Nairobi
Kenya’s athletics body said yesterday that media reports alleging doping among its runners were a smear campaign ahead of the World Championships in Beijing.
Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR said they were given access to the results of more than 12,000 blood tests showing more than 800 athletes had given blood samples that were “highly suggestive” of doping or “abnormal”. Of the 800, 77 were Kenyan athletes, according to the reports.
ARD/WDR on Saturday aired a documentary in which a hidden camera purportedly showed athletes being injected with performance enhancing drugs.
ARD also alleged corruption among Kenyan officials who wanted to cover up doping by runners.
According to the Sunday Times, 18 of the country’s medals won from 2001-2012 were won by athletes with suspicous blood-test results.
Athletics Kenya (AK) said claims of widespread systematic doping among Kenyan runners was “suspect and ill-motivated”.
“We cannot fail to point out that the documentary is an attempt to smear our runners with unwarranted suspicion as they prepare to undertake duty for their country in Beijing, China,” AK said in a statement.
“The unwarranted claims on the Kenyan athletes are deliberately aimed at derailing the preparations and the participation of the Kenyan team in the World Championships.”
The championships run from August 22-30 in Beijing.
Kenya boasts some of the world’s best middle and long-distance runners but dozens of its athletes have failed drug tests over the past few years, casting a shadow over the success of Kenyan athletics.
In February, Rita Jeptoo, winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons, was banned for two years after a failed test in the biggest doping scandal to hit Kenya in recent years.
David Rudisha, 800m Olympic champion and Kenya’s best known runner, in December said that AK should have done more to root out drug cheats as persistent doping claims risk tarnishing reputations of clean Kenyan runners.
Kenyan government officials have blamed the growing number of doping cases on foreign agents and AK’s failure to educate its athletes properly.
AK said it has been fighting hard to combat doping and was working closely with IAAF, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Kenyan government to counter the scourge.
The Kenyan sports body also said it had been educating athletes about the dangers posed by doping and was about to conclude an investigation, assisted by police, into the sale, distribution and use of banned substances.
European supremo calls on IAAF for clarifications
European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen has demanded the sport’s global governing body the IAAF clarify the situation regarding new allegations of mass doping in athletics. The 69-year-old Norwegian—who assumed his post earlier this year—was reacting to the leaking of 12,000 blood tests of 5,000 athletes from the IAAF.
Hansen also said the imminent changing of the guard at the top of the IAAF later this month, when either British middle distance legend Sebastian Coe or Ukrainian pole vault icon Sergey Bubka will replace the elderly long-time president Lamine Diack, would he hoped be a defining moment for the sport.
“Without comment on the veracity of the various claims or the leaking of confidential files from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), European Athletics shares the concerns expressed by the President (Craig Reedie) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA),” said Hansen in a statement. “We call on the IAAF, as the world governing body for the sport, to clarify the situation and step up its already leading efforts to combat the scourge of doping,” added Hansen, who outside of his official role trades in stamps.
Hansen, who is implementing an expansion of anti-doping education programme for young European athletes, said that the coronation of a new president of the IAAF would be a pivotal moment for a sport under a huge amount of pressure.
“The IAAF elections in Beijing later this month will bring new leadership to the organisation. The importance of this opportunity for change cannot be overstated,” said Hansen.
