Kenya suspends Pamela Chepchumba after positive test
Kenya's former national cross-country champion Pamela Chepchumba has been suspended from international competition by Athletics Kenya after a positive test for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO.
Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat told Reuters Chepchumba had tested positive for erythropoietin at the world cross-country championships in Lausanne on March 29.
"According to IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) rules, we have immediately suspended her from international competition pending the results of the B sample, which she has requested and should come out in the next two weeks," he said.
The A sample given by Chepchumba, who finished sixth in the women's eight kilometre race in Lausanne, showed traces of EPO, a drug injected directly into the blood stream that increases the red cells to improve stamina and performance.
The race was won by Ethiopia's Werknesh Kidane.
Chepchumba's suspension is one of the highest-profile cases involving a Kenyan athlete since the sanctions imposed on former five-times world cross-country champion John Ngugi in 1993 and 400 metres runner Simon Kemboi in 2000.
Kemboi failed a dope test at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and was sent home and subsequently suspended for two years.
Ngugi refused a random dope test because he said the IAAF doctors who visited his rural home had failed to identify themselves.
He was cleared but has since stopped competing.
"It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened when our athletes are known to be clean," Kiplagat said.
"We can't talk much at the moment as we are awaiting results of the sample B."
The second test will be conducted on June 6 at the IAAF headquarters in Monte Carlo in the presence of Chepchumba, her manager Federico Rosa and doctor Gabrielle Rosa.
Chepchumba is married to Boaz Kibet Kimaiyo, who last year was second in the Vienna Marathon and sixth in the Amsterdam Marathon.
She started running for Kenya in 1992, finishing 27th in the world cross-country championships in Boston.
Chepchumba was a silver medallist in the national championships in 1993.
The 24-year-old moved to road races between 1996 and 2001 before returning to cross-country in 2001.
She was fifth at the world cross-country championships in the 8km in 2001 and ninth in 2002 after winning the women's national cross-country title.