Kenyan middle-distance runner Esther Gitahi has been slapped with a four year ban, just days after marathon record holder Ruth Chepn'getich suffered a similar fate.
The ban was confirmed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on the evening of Monday, October 27 and was imposed by the Disciplinary Tribunal, effective August 6 2024.
Gitahi's case was heard before the Disciplinary and Appeals Tribunal who observed the presence and use of Erythropoietin (EPO) by the athlete - two actions which are considered violations under the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) rules.
Gitahi, a 26-year-old international-level athlete, provided a urine sample during the B.A.A. 5K in Boston, USA, on April 13 2024. The sample tested positive for EPO, a substance banned at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2024 Prohibited List.
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, subsequently improving oxygen transport and endurance.
In synthetic form, the drug is used medically to treat anaemia, but athletes have been known to resort to it for its performance-enhancing effects.
Upon notification of the Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) on August 6 2024, Gitahi was provisionally suspended. Since she waived her right to have the B-sample analysed, it confirmed the initial result and established a doping violation.
Subsequently, AIU issued formal charges, which Gitahi accepted but denied knowing she was injecting herself with a banned performance-enhancing drug.
Gitahi claimed that the injections she was administering were prescribed for thalassemia - a blood disorder she believed she might be suffering from based on information she received from a Kenyan clinic in 2022 after she started experiencing symptoms of fatigue and joint pain.
She reportedly injected eight doses of the medication over a 10-month period, and the positive test for doping followed her second round of injections in early 2024.
Despite her explanation, the tribunal found it not credible and described her account as 'somewhat bizarre'. It was thus determined that her use of EPO was intentional.
The standard sanction for intentional use of a non-specified prohibited substance is four years of ineligibility, which was imposed on Gitahi.
