Sydney Marathon winner provisionally suspended for EPO

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 14:33 · Archive

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for EPO.

Olympic and world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended over a positive test for EPO taken before her victory in the Sydney Marathon. The Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Friday that the 33-year-old gave an out-of-competition sample in Kenya that returned an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance, which boosts the production of red blood cells.

Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon on 30 August, finishing in two hours 18 minutes and 31 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of second-placed Kenyan Irine Cheptai, who is now set to be handed the title. Jepchirchir is among the greats of road racing: Tokyo Olympic champion in 2021, a holder of the women's-only world marathon record and world half-marathon record, and twice world half-marathon champion. She had previously triumphed in New York, Boston and London marathons.

Her agent, Gianni Demadonna, said in a statement: 'I can only say that I feel terrible about what happened and I think it's only right that an athlete who uses the performance enhancing drugs should be disqualified.' This is the latest doping scandal involving distance runners from Kenya, which was last month awarded the 2029 world athletics championships, to be staged in Nairobi.

Sydney Marathon winner provisionally suspended for EPO — Image: The West Australian

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How it is being reported

Sydney Marathon champ Jepchirchir positive for EPOKenya's Sydney Marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended over a positive drugs test for EPO taken before her triumph in Australia.The West Australian · 23 Oct, 13:58
Sydney Marathon champ Jepchirchir positive for EPOKenya's Sydney Marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended over a positive drugs test for EPO taken before her triumph in Australia.Perth Now · 23 Oct, 13:58

In this story: Peres Jepchirchir · Kenya · Athletics Integrity Unit · Sydney Marathon · Irine Cheptai · Gianni Demadonna

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