Systematic doping of Kenyan runners

[Mad Elephant Man]

Listening to BBC worldservice Radio

They are talking about claims of widespread doping in Kenyan athletics made by Moses Kiptanui.

Summary and interview available here

http://www.flotrack.org/article/18367-Moses-Kiptanui-Confirms-Kenyan-Doping-Allegations

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Listening to BBC worldservice Radio

They are talking about claims of widespread doping in Kenyan athletics made by Moses Kiptanui.

Summary and interview available here

http://www.flotrack.org/article/18367-Moses-Kiptanui-Confirms-Kenyan-Doping-Allegations

No offense but I thought that was old news?

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

No offense but I thought that was old news?

I don't know, the interview is new I think, but it might not reveal anything new. Not really followed this thread.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I don't know, the interview is new I think, but it might not reveal anything new. Not really followed this thread.

I had heard something similar, looks like it's the same angle, but with a different name:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19763647

In June, distance runner Mathew Kisorio failed a drugs test at Kenya's national championships and said doping was rife.

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

I had heard something similar, looks like it's the same angle, but with a different name:

Yes, this seems to be Kiptanui supporting what Kisorio said.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Yes, this seems to be Kiptanui supporting what Kisorio said.

Where two or three are witnesses.... ;-)

 

[BroDeal]

They are doing it wrong. They should all claim they have bilharzia.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

They are doing it wrong. They should all claim they have bilharzia.

That would only really work for BP athletes looking to mess with retics and other blood parameters. Mathew was done for steroids.

 

[Mad Elephant Man]

Where two or three are witnesses.... ;-)

Listening to it again, Kiptanui says athletes can bribe people to cover up positive drug tests. Pretty big claim.

 

[BroDeal]

That would only really work for BP athletes looking to mess with retics and other blood parameters. Mathew was done for steroids.

Bilharzia is good for what ails you. It can explain everything.

 

[the asian]

Wonder, what the Ethiopians are saying about all this.
This was Kenya's response to Ethiopian domination in the 00s.

 

[blackcat]

berhard kohls manager stefan matschiner

 

[More Strides than Rides]

People may have their doubts about JV and his message board presence, but at least he isn't this guy.

Posted on a running board earlier today

Renato Canova is here, and doesn't hide himself behind a finger, like the most part of people in Letsrun.
The fact some athlete can use doping doesn't mean this can work for the top runners.
I explained several times that, with the specific attitude and the physiological qualities of the top runners, EPO doesn't give any advantage, and I continue to support this thesis, also if can seem I'm a ignorant or a cheater.
I continue to say that all the best Kenyan athletes are completely clean (my athletes of sure), and the evidence is that all the athletes under doping were unknown runners, in many cases very weak, with the only ecception of Mathew Kisorio and of Erupe. I also explained that Kisorio (who also took steroids) ran all his PB BEFORE starting to get some doping, so the fact he can be positive can only support what I say : EPO DOESN'T HELP TOP KENYAN ATHLETES.
Somebody continues to ask "which prooves I have EPO doesn't work". I ask "which prooves you have EPO works", not basing your opinion on some research NEVER DONE WITH TOP ATHLETES, but on the reality of some top runner clean, later getting EPO and showing some improvement.
I have the proof that it's possible to better WR in steeple (7'53"), in 30 km (1:26'47"), to run under 26'55" (9 athletes), under 60' HM (14 athletes), to win WCh (Christopher Koskei, Saaeed Shaheen, Dorcus Inzikuru, Paul Kosgei, Florence Kiplagat, Imane Merga, Wilson Kiprop, Abel Kirui) in different distances, COMPLETELY CLEAN.
And I cant believe that all these athletes could run 1 minute faster in 10000m in case of EPO (so, 9 my athletes under 26').
You can believe or not believe what I say, but I never go to change my opinion, because, different from the most part of people here, I KNOW WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO IN NATURAL WAY, WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT, and this is already faster of what people think possible to do with doping.
This fact doesn't mean we don't need to fight any doping in very strong way. But one of the best systems for fighting doping is exactly to explain that the advantages are very little or nothing, depending on the qualities of the athletes, and the final goal is to fill the pockets of doctors, cheaters with a plate of being experts, because they say exactly what many cheaters athletes want to hear, without real scientific bases.

 

[mewmewmew13]

isn't he Ryan Hall's new coach?
Hall went from God coaching him to Renato Canova..

Bilharzia

 

[mikehammer67]

if they have your blood passport
what are your blood doping options now?

are you restricted to microdosing
epo or can you still use larger doses if you're training in remote location?

 

[neineinei]

Eight Kenyan sanctions announced today by IAAF, Three of the positives are from 2012!

CHEPKORIR Emily Perpetua
(Date of birth 07.07.85)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Media Maratón BAM Max Tott', Guatemala city, GUA
26.01.14
2 years ineligibility 06.04.14-05.04.16

TANUI Stephen Kibet
(Date of birth 03.03.82)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Media Maratón BAM Max Tott', Guatemala city, GUA
26.01.14
2 years ineligibility 26.01.14-25.01.16

KANDIE Philip
(Date of birth 18.06.80)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Media Maratón BAM Max Tott', Guatemala city, GUA
26.01.14
2 years ineligibility 16.03.14-15.03.16

MUTAI Julius Kiprono
(Date of birth 03.01.79)
KEN
In Competition test, ‘Macau Galaxy Entertainment International Marathon 2013’, Macau, MAC
01.12.13
2 years ineligibility 08.05.14-07.05.16

NDIRANGU Alice
(Date of birth 24.11.79)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Maratón Gobernador 47', Baja California, MEX
16.12.12
4 years ineligibility 26.05.13-25.05.17

CHELAGAT Elizabeth Jebet
(Date of birth 1980)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Maratón Internacional Pacifico’, Mazatlan, MEX
02.12.12
2 years ineligibility 20.01.13-19.01.15

NYANKABARIA James Maunga
(Date of birth 12.12.81)
KEN
In Competition test, 'Maratón Internacional Pacifico’, Mazatlan, MEX
02.12.12
2 years ineligibility 15.11.13-14.11.15

CHEPCHIRCHIR Flomena
(Date of birth 01.12.81)
KEN
In Competition test, ‘Birell Prague GP', Prague, CZE
06.09.14
6 months ineligibility 06.09.14-05.03.15

http://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=b683eb05-14b3-4137-9ba5-8727ee6a68b7.pdf&urlslug=Doping sanctions - News 159

The list doesen't give the substances they have tested positive for. It will turn up in the full "Currently sanctioned athletes list".

 

[neineinei]

http://aimsworldrunning.org/documents/AIMS_Anti-dopingAdvisory25062014.pdf

IAAF sent out a letter last June, there was a problem with sanctioned/provisionally suspended runners competing.

This communiqué will provide you with a list of athletes currently serving a period of ineligibility (and known to mainly compete in distance races), as well as a second list of athletes who have returned an Adverse Analytical Finding and are therefore considered to be in a period of (at least) provisional suspension, but for whom we are not unequivocally certain have either i) been made aware of the finding, or ii) are choosing to ignore attempts to ensure such notification.

All the runners on the list of athletes who have tested positive, but which IAAF can't get hold of, are Kenyans. And some of the positives are from 2012, so they hid from Athletics Kenya/IAAF for a couple of years.

List of Athletes Having Returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF)
Athlete
Nat.
Sex
ADRV
Date of Infraction

MUANGA NYANKABARIA, James
KEN
M
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
02/12/2012

NDIRANGU, Alice
KEN
F
AAF
–
Clenbuterol & Norandrosterone
16/12/2012

CHELAGAT JEBET, Elizabeth
KEN
F
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
02/12/2012

KIMAIYO KEMBOI, Isaack
KEN
M
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
19/05/2013

MWENDIA MUTHONI, Bernard
KEN
M
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
06/01/2013

KIPRONO MUTAI, Julius
KEN
M
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
01/12/2013

CHELANGAT KIMETTO, Viola
KEN
F
AAF
–
Norandrosterone
01/12/2013

PERPETUA CHEPKORIR, Emily
KEN
F
AAF
–
Nandrolone Metabolites
02/03/2014

KIBET TANUI, Stephen
KEN
M
AAF
–
Nandrolone
26/01/2014

KANDIE, Philip
KEN
M
AAF
–
Norandrosterone & Testosterone
26/01/2014

KIBET CHELAL, Stephen
KEN
M
AAF
–
Methylprednisolone
02/03/2014

 

[proffate]

Norandrosterone is a popular one. Wonder why. According to this[1] the likely defense will be the consumption of pig offal. Do they have pigs in Kenya?

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657496/

 

[neineinei]

http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Gabriele-Rosa-Athletes-Blood-Testing-EPO-Rita-Jeptoo/-/1100/2603974/-/op85t3/-/index.html

Veteran athletics coach and manager Gabriele Rosa and his Rosa Associati stable have introduced blood tests among their athletes and urged Athletics Kenya not to relent in their war against doping.

The move comes as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Tuesday announced sanctions for eight Kenyan athletes found guilty of various doping violations.

Rosa and his stable’s lead coach Claudio Berardelli confirmed that machine, worth Sh1 million, that they would use for the blood tests had arrived in Kenya and was on Monday being cleared at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s customs department.

Rosa said he was happy with Athletics Kenya’s fight against doping but said the federation must be more aggressive in their campaign to clear Kenya’s name in the face of recent stinging attacks following doping revelations in the country’s flagship sport.

Jeptoo tests positive for EPO and Rosa spends $1 mill. on a blood testing machine to ensure no more mishaps for his cash cows.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Gabriele-Rosa-Athletes-Blood-Testing-EPO-Rita-Jeptoo/-/1100/2603974/-/op85t3/-/index.html





Jeptoo tests positive for EPO and Rosa spends $1 mill. on a blood testing machine to ensure no more mishaps for his cash cows.

(1 million Kenyan Shillings is about $11,000 US.) but yes, a great move by the doc to combat this epidemic of positive tests.

 

[neineinei]

Isaiah Kiplagat, the head of Athletics Kenya, said on 2 April:

Next week, we might be announcing some drastic measures. We might have to ban or suspend two or three agents. You will hear it at my press conference next week.

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2015/04/02/arrests-bans-on-doping-lords-set-for-next-week/

Two days later Benjamin Limo explained why he quit his post as Athletics Kenya Uasin Gishu branch chairman.

Limo, who has been on top of Uasin Gishu athletics since 2013, resigned last week citing a poor working relationship with AK’s head office, doping and poor constitution that does not recognise athletes as key stakeholders in the federation.

He added the decision was made after discussions with friends saying his name was bigger than the federation “led by individuals who have no athletes’ interest at heart but pursue personal gains.”

“I extensively consulted people from out and within just to ensure that I don’t hurt anyone in the process. Many times we are in IAAF meetings, officials ask me hard questions about doping in Kenya, which I fail to answer and AK is not ready to deal with the menace,” said Limo.

-Shielding doping-

Limo took issue with AK accusing them of shielding and protecting some managers and coaches who are adversely mentioned countrywide.

“AK is not ready to fight doping and it happens that majority of athletes affected by such vices come from almost one camp and AK is doing nothing to curb the vice.

“The same accused managers are foreigners enjoying protection of AK but destroying the image and athletes future yet we have not seen any action taken,” the Helsinki 5000m World champion charged.

The only gold medallist at the 2005 IAAF Worlds slammed the AK constitution that ‘does not favour athletes but outsiders who do not know athletics at all.’

“I have been in athletics for 20 years and this constitution does not mention anywhere about athletes who are stakeholders in the federation.

“World record holders like David Rudisha will never be in the management. In this constitution, anybody is allowed to join so long as you have Sh500. The current members from top to bottom, there is no single athlete, that is wrong,” he lamented.

With the current wrangles in AK, Limo rued he had been part of “a bad governing system, saying the entire top brass needs to be dissolved.

“Working in a dysfunction system, even if you are good, the system will obviously fail you. Your name will be dragged into the list of bad managers, when you are not. That is why I had to quit as AK chairman of Uasin Gishu and secretary of Central Rift region,” he stated.

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2015/04/04/former-champ-limo-quit-ak-post-over-dope/

If someone gets banned it is not the Rosa Associati stable.

 

[MagnificentMerckx]

All of these Kenyan athletes who have been caught doping is indeed not surprising given the tragic nature of widespread doping amongst athletes worldwide. Money, and we are not talking pennies, but millions, is a very tempting proposition and a definitive escape from poverty for Kenyan athletes as a whole who are bursting with huge natural talent and tragically doping with illicit and dangerous substances in order to earn a living and become a rich global superstar athlete. They unfortunately are left without much choice as they choose to dope to escape poverty, huge rivalry, fierce competition and become a player in a sport that is transparently rife with performance enhancing substances on a global scale. Many of these Kenyan athletes would dominate their chosen field if it were a utopian global society in which performance enhancing drugs did not exist. But sadly that is not the case, and those who have been caught are now on a rocky road somewhere on the outskirts of suburbia.

 

[neineinei]

Another doping case being reported today. No name yet.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mobile/?articleID=2000157657&story_title=Another famous athlete fails dope test/sports/

Even before the dust has settled on the recent doping scandal by Kenyan athletes, another case has emerged, but is still under investigation.

FeverPitch has learnt that another fairly famous long distance runner has been caught by global athletics chiefs after using performance-enhancing substances.

But Athletics Kenya (AK) neither denied nor confirmed the matter. "I cannot speak about any such thing now until all matters are confirmed and made public," AK Chief Executive Officer Isaac Mwangi said.

We independently confirmed that AK has already been notified by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) of the doping matter and investigations have been set in motion.

"The athlete was summoned to AK yesterday and has already reported to commence investigations," said a source familiar with the matter.


The source also said the athlete belongs to a stable that is under scrutiny after many of its athletes failed doping tests. The latest athlete to fail doping test has won two major marathon races in the past one year.

Meanwhile, AK planned Executive Committee meeting that was due yesterday has been postponed. AK had indicated it would announce the banning of some agents whose athletes have failed dope tests lately.

Rita Jeptoo, former winner of Boston Chicago Marathon, so far remains the most high-profile athlete to be suspended for failing a dope test. Jeptoo is currently serving a two-year ban.

 

[sniper]

Re:

All of these Kenyan athletes who have been caught doping is indeed not surprising given the tragic nature of widespread doping amongst athletes worldwide. Money, and we are not talking pennies, but millions, is a very tempting proposition and a definitive escape from poverty for Kenyan athletes as a whole who are bursting with huge natural talent and tragically doping with illicit and dangerous substances in order to earn a living and become a rich global superstar athlete. They unfortunately are left without much choice as they choose to dope to escape poverty, huge rivalry, fierce competition and become a player in a sport that is transparently rife with performance enhancing substances on a global scale. Many of these Kenyan athletes would dominate their chosen field if it were a utopian global society in which performance enhancing drugs did not exist. But sadly that is not the case, and those who have been caught are now on a rocky road somewhere on the outskirts of suburbia.

good post, was going to post similar.
if you see how many Africans are willing to sacrifice their lives just to get to Europe and escape the poverty, then gearing up with PEDs to try and make some money in athletics seems like a very tiny risk to take in comparison, with huge rewards (and we're not necessarily talking huge sums of money here, more like having bread and water on the table on a daily basis).

It's hard to tell if they dope more than in other countries. What is without a doubt is that they can't afford the masking programs that western athletes have access to.

Agree with your view that they probably have the naturally most-talented athletes for long-distance running and would probably wipe out the competition in a level-playing field.

The story is so unfair it has the words "legalize EPO" written all over it.

 

[Cloxxki]

The fact that in the 1st world, fast marathon times are "sexy", and in Kenya they have a culture of success, and managers "gifting" the athletes wealth, makes that people don't run because they like it and then turn pro when they like it above anything else. From the first training they do it's about turning pro.

A Kenyan's best chance at making above average living, is to train. And it only works due to Kenya being poor.
In other poor nations there is no infrastructure to develop talents. And no culture to promote it.
If a Kenyan feel ambitious in life, they test their running talent. If they are 2'15 hopefuls, they won't run another day. Not worth it. Westerners who see 2'15 as a possibility will spend money to get there. Part time jobs, etc. Because of prestige. 2'15 makes you the hot shot at the track club. In Kenya, it's appreciated that you at least tried.

Marathon has become a bit irrelevant. It's not a sport to the protagonists, it's a job. A chance to gain respect and do well for themselves and families. Without the wealth hike attached, how many would still run?