Budding Kenyan athlete Faith Chepchirchir was on Wednesday, January 8, provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the presence/use of a suspended substance- Norandrosterone.
Confirming her suspension, the AIU informed that Faith will be temporarily prohibited from participating in any competition or activity in athletics before a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.
“The AIU has provisionally suspended Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich (Kenya) for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Norandrosterone),” the AIU stated on their X platform.
Subsequently, the athlete was required to respond to the charges by either admitting to the violations and providing explanations or denying the allegations and requesting further investigations.
According to the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, a provisional suspension is mandatory when there is an adverse analytical finding for a non-specified substance on the Prohibited List.
The 23-year-old athlete is the current Lisbon Hyundai Half Marathon champion which she won in October 2024, clocking 1:10:33 to triumph in Portugal.
This was her second triumph of the season after clocking 52:10 to win the women’s title in the Tilburg Ten Miles race in the Netherlands.
Norandrosterone is an anabolic steroid that has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for the past 30 years. It is thought to enhance performance by increasing muscle strength and endurance.
Her previous races also include the Great Chepsaita Cross Country in 2023, where she finished 14th in the women’s 8km race after clocking 27:51. She further finished fifth at the Lille 5km race in November 2023, timing 31:04.
The latest suspension by the AIU comes in the wake of serious doping allegations made against several Kenyan athletes who have subsequently been banned as a result.
Chepchirchir’s suspension marks the first doping violation by a Kenyan athlete in 2025 and comes after WADA banned fellow compatriot Ezekiel Kipkorir for three years after testing positive for the presence and use of the banned testosterone.
The recent bans and violations have placed increased scrutiny towards the athletics fraternity with the government pledging to combat the developing doping menace in the country.
