The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has imposed a four-year ban on Kenyan marathoner Brimin Kipkorir after he tested positive for prohibited substances.
In a comprehensive statement released on Tuesday, April 1, the AIU announced it had upheld an initial sanction placed on the 35-year-old, following positive tests for erythropoietin and furosemide.
"The AIU has banned Brimin Misoi Kipkorir (Kenya) from 17 February 2025 for presence/use of prohibited substances (EPO, furosemide). DQ results from November 22, 2024," the statement read.
Kipkorir's woes began on November 22, when he provided a urine sample for a routine test while in Kenya. Three weeks later, the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, revealed the analysis of the sample showed the presence of furosemide, a prohibited substance.
Furosemide is primarily used as a diuretic (water pill) to help a failing kidney perform some key functions like eliminating excess fluid and salt by increasing urine production. However, in some cases, athletes have been reported to use furosemide as a quick fix for weight loss.
In other situations, because the substance flushes out urine, athletes have been known to use it as a drug-masking agent to flush out banned substances from the body.
Following the discovery, the AIU issued Kipkorir a notice of the banned substances, giving him until January 6 to respond. The athlete, according to AIU, did not respond.
A further analysis of the sample in February 2025 revealed the presence of another substance, erythropoietin, which is typically used to treat kidney disease. Like furosemide, athletes also abuse this drug because it helps increase the supply of oxygen to the red blood cells, thus boosting performance.
Kipkorir was initially slapped with a two-year ban, but the AIU also explained that there were 'aggravating circumstances' in his case, which warranted the imposition of the maximum ban of six years.
However, because Kipkorir initially accepted the ban, and it was his first offence, the AIU settled on a four-year ban.
"The period of ineligibility to be imposed is therefore a period of ineligibility of four (4) years, unless the athlete demonstrates that the Anti-Doping Rule Violations were not intentional," the AIU stated.
The ban will come as a blow to Kipkorir, who was one of the more promising athletes, particularly in marathons. In 2024, he famously won the Sydney marathon with a time of 02:06:17, beating his Ethiopian counterpart Chalu Deso Gelmisa and Felix Kiptoo from Kenya.
