Kenya’s Ronex Kipruto Suspended Over Doping

By Samuel Ouma

Kenya's 10 kilometres race world record holder Rhonex Kipruto has been temporarily suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for breaching doping rules.

Announcing the suspension on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, AIU said the athlete was found guilty of using a prohibited substance.

“The AIU has provisionally suspended Rhonex Kipruto (Kenya) for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP),” said AIU.

The suspension implies that Kipruto is suspended temporarily 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.

Kipruto smashed the world 10km record in January 2020, running 26 minutes and 24 seconds in Valencia, Spain.

In 2018, he won the world junior 10,000m title in Tampere, Finland, before finishing third at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

Kipruto's ban comes just three weeks after another Kenyan, Nicholas Kosimbei, was provisionally suspended for testing positive for the illegal chemical trimetazidine.