2008 Olympics 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop, finally opened up on the doping scandal that saw him banned from the sport for 4 years, back on April 20, 2019.
Speaking to NTV's Grace Msalame on her show, Unscripted, which aired on Saturday, April 4, the athlete gave his side of the story, going on to reveal the party responsible for what he termed as fixing him up for a fall.
He expressly stated that the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handled his case in a questionable manner and that this pointed at someone within the body being culpable for his current situation.
"I think AIU saw me as a stumbling block to what they wanted to achieve and someone wanted to find a way to bring me down," he claimed.
Back in 2014, the world-famous athlete had strongly defended Rosa and Associates management when they were faced with doping allegations, a move which he says marked the beginning of his end.
Pressed on whether he had actually used EPO, or erythropoietin, a performance-enhancing drug, Kiprop maintained his innocence, adding that if indeed he had shot himself up with the banned substance, he would not have availed himself for testing having been forewarned about the impending drug test by a corrupt official, well in advance.
"How could I have been so foolish to avail myself? Mark you, I had not missed any doping test he stated.
"I will not relent in my quest to find the truth. I will not allow it to die even if it will take me a decade or more," he vowed.
The Olympian also came clean on how he sunk into depression and alcoholism following the ruling, which resulted in a majority of his friends including his wife abandoning him.
"All the people I had housed left me and my rivals openly ridiculed me,
There was a lack of trust and it can get worse when it comes from people who are closer," he explained.
He was full of gratitude for his parents as well as his boss, the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai from bringing him out of a very 'dark place'.
"My parents and the IG save me from total collapse and I am grateful to them. I am also lucky to have gotten another wife who is kind and understanding," he narrated.
The renowned athlete grabbed the headlines earlier this year when he announced that he would be delving into the world of professional motorsports, with a video of him behind the wheel, going viral across multiple social media platforms.
Watch Kiprop during his interview with Msalame below:
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