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| Rita Jeptoo |
The Kenyan populace have been subjected to an upsetting
Christmas treat, thanks to the revelation that some of the country’s priced,
world-beating athletes, might be involved in doping.
This bad dream is first becoming a reality, particularly
after the country’s cherished, three-time Boston Marathon and two-time Chicago
Marathon winner, Rita Jeptoo failed her B sample. The Kenyan empress failed her
first sample sometimes in September, during an out-of-competition test by the country’s
very own athletics federation.
This prompted the sending of her B sample to the World
Ant-Doping Agency Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland – and the sad “failed” results
for that sample were announced on Friday 26th by none other than Isaiah Kiplagat himself. She tested positive for the blood booster EPO
and the hearing for the case is expected to take place sometimes in January.
There are fears that many more athletes might be involved
and we are keeping our fingers crossed. The situation is as bad as it should
get, otherwise it will be truly a bad thing for Kenya – a globally respected leader
in long distance runnig– to be implicated in doping (something we can do
without and still bring gold medals).
What is particularly annoying in the whole debacle is the
emerging impression that majority of the previously implicated athletes were
sweet-talked into using the banned substances.
Though the local athletics body has suspended more than 32
athletes for doping in the past 5 years, Rita Jeptoo is the only high profile
athlete who has failed the doping test. Jeptoo was due to be crowned as the
winner of the World Marathon Majors when it was revealed that she had failed
the initial test in September. The announcement cost her $500,000 which she was
to pocket after the crowning.
Kenya has dominated long distance running for decades, however,
cases of doping started to make news 2012 when Mathew Kisorio tested positive
during Olympic trials and, allegedly told a German documentary that doping was
widely practiced in Kenya. He is purported to have said that “everyone told me
that I wasn’t the only one”, adding that “when you run, you run so smooth”.
Since then Athletics Kenya has done all within its powers to
try and arrest doping among athletes in Kenya. The Kenyan government is also
said to be working on laws to punish individuals who are supplying athletes
with drugs.
Will this dampen
Kenya’s unparalleled grip on long distance running?
The answer is a firm NO!
Whereas the number of implicated runners is still too small
for anyone to use it in spewing widespread condemnation of the Kenyan running
fraternity, there are signs that it could be used to put Kenya’s dominance into
question. Nonetheless, we are certain
the dust will settle as fast as it has risen.
The confidence exuded here stems from the well-known fact
that Kenya doesn’t rely on blood Booster EPO or other banned substances to
produce champions.
Anyone with information on how Kenya gets most of its
runners knows too well that our athletes are naturally superb and will still
outrun the majority, if not all athletes from other countries even after doping
is completely brought under control.
Here is a small secret I thought you should
know
Up to 99% of Kenya’s long distance world beaters come from a
small village called Iten. Like you my friend, Kenyans can’t stop wondering
what is so special with Iten. However, what
we are sure of is that Iten will continue doing its magic in producing the huge
chunk of Kenya’s world beating runners for a long time to come.
