Kenya marathon star fights back in dope test row
WORLD record-breaking Kenyan marathon runner Wilson Kipsang has accused his country’s athletics governing body of deliberately damaging his reputation after it revealed that he missed a doping test.
Kenya Athletics on Tuesday took the unusual step of publicising Kipsang’s missed test, which occurred last month, but, in keeping with international rules, said he would not be sanctioned.
The 32-year-old, who has won the men’s race at the London Marathon twice, including earlier this year, hit back yesterday by questioning the motives of his national organisation.
Kipsang said he was in South Africa to attend a sports conference and represent Africa and Kenya on 13 November, when the test was missed, and that he had informed relevant bodies of his whereabouts.
“I wish to state it clearly that it is breach of privacy with malicious target to soil my name and efforts I have put in towards developing and streamlining the art of running in Kenya,” he said.
“Missing unwillingly a single test, in fact for the first time cannot amount to issuing a press statement by a national federation. I am not the only athlete who misses a test. I am not the first one in Kenya neither in the whole world. Then, why Kipsang?”
Kenya has been urged to improve anti-doping efforts following a spate of failed tests, while athletics is currently reeling from allegations that Russia had established and covered up a systematic doping regime. Russia has denied the claim.