10K world record holder Rhonex Kipruto banned for 6 years in doping case

Kenyan runner Rhonex Kipruto has been stripped of his world record in men’s 10-kilometer road racing and banned for six years in a doping case.

A disciplinary panel ruled that abnormalities in Kipruto’s blood samples pointed to “a deliberate and sophisticated doping regime” and Kipruto likely had help from unknown third parties. At the time, he was aiming to qualify for the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The panel imposed a six-year ban because of what it deemed the “aggravating circumstances” in the case, up from a standard four-year doping ban.

Kipruto was disqualified from all of his results since September 2018, meaning he loses a world championship bronze medal in the 10,000 meters from 2019 and his 10k road record from 2020.

That record is set to pass to Ethiopian runner Berihu Aregawi. He ran 26 minutes, 33 seconds in the 10k last year, nine seconds slower than Kipruto’s time.

No banned substance was found in Kipruto’s system and the case rested on data from his biological passport, which tracks athletes’ blood samples over time to detect irregularities and changes that point to blood doping.

The panel said Kipruto’s defense sought to blame illnesses, irregular training habits and his alcohol use, which it said had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kipruto also sought to dispute the validity of some blood samples in the case.

A statement on Kipruto’s website dated Tuesday and attributed to unnamed legal counsel indicated he is considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “Despite exhaustive efforts to present comprehensive medical evidence and expert testimonies, the ruling failed to consider crucial aspects of Rhonex’s health and circumstances,” the statement said.

It is the latest in a long series of doping cases involving Kenyan distance runners.