Rita Jeptoo is most known for her beyond impressive track records and abilities to win marathons. She was an inspiration to many, but it turns out this athlete may have caved in, like many other athletes, when trying to perform to her best abilities. The Kenyan marathon champion has been suspended from running for two years because a drug screening showed that she had substances in her body.
Jeptoo has won the Boston Marathon three times now, and has even set the course record back in 2014. Now her performances are being reexamined after it was reported that the star showed traces of EPO, which is a blood boosting hormone.
She had been provisionally suspended after samples from an out of competition event in Kenya showed traces of performance enhancing substance.
Reuters stated, “Athletics Kenya followed due process in her (Rita Jeptoo) matter and it was appropriate that she serves a two-year ban. Jeptoo, provisionally suspended from athletics after the A sample proved positive, had asked for a B check which also tested positive for a banned substance.”
Jeptoo may be stripped of her awards and records because of the samples, and may have to pay back almost 700,000 dollars in prize money, which she was given for winning marathons, and placing records.
Although Jeptoo is in the spotlight at the moment, several other Kenyan marathon runners have been accused and proven to be using these types of substances as well. Viola Kimetto and Joyce Kiplimo were both banned from running this past December, and this ongoing problem has caused scrutiny over the anti-doping systems and monitoring that is supposed to be making sure that these runners are clean.
Photo Credit: RushHourDaily/THOMAS MUKOYA
