Marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a doping violation.
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a diuretic that is included on the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) banned list, was found in a sample of Chepngetich’s urine collected on March 14, five days after she finished second in the Lisbon Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour, six minutes, 20 seconds.
HCTZ is used clinically to treat fluid retention by increasing the flow of urine. This can be used to mask the presence of other banned substances.
Under WADA regulations, the threshold for a positive test for HCTZ is 20ng/mL in urine. The 30-year-old’s result was an estimated 3800 ng/mL, the AIU said.
The Athletic has approached Chepngetich for comment.
The marathoner was notified of the result and interviewed in person by the AIU on April 16 and was cooperative, the AIU said in a media release. On April 19, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the investigation was ongoing, before the Notice of Charge and suspension from the integrity unit in July.
She has the right to have her case heard at a disciplinary tribunal.
Chepngetich is currently ranked eighth in the world for the women’s marathon after becoming the first woman in history to clock a sub-two hour, 10 minute time over the distance in Chicago last year (2:09:56), besting the previous milestone time by nearly two minutes.
She was due to compete in the London Marathon in April but pulled out ahead of the event saying she was “not in the right place mentally or physically to race my best”.
(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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