Joy Zakari (right) when she won her women 400m heat at the Beijing Worlds before being suspended for doping. PHOTO/IAAF/Getty Images
NAIROBI, August 31 – Athletics Kenya president, Isaiah Kiplagat has urged Anti Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) to speed up investigations on sprinters, Joy Zakari and Fransisca Koki who failed doping tests from samples taken at the just concluded Beijing World Championships.
On August 26, IAAF confirmed the duo had accepted provisional suspension for doping violations at the biannual championships where Kenya finished top of the world ahead of athletics power houses, Jamaica and USA with 16 medals (7 gold, 6 silver, 3 bronze).
However, Kiplagat who spoke on Monday when resuming office after a three month sabbatical promised stern measures will be taken against the athletes and those found culpable of abetting them obtained the yet to be announced banned substance.
“In spite of being accused of using drugs, Kenya is still on top of the world. These two girls have given their story and I don’t want to comment on that because they have recorded their statements. Investigations are on.
“IAAF is on top of things, we have asked ADAK to be on top of things too because indications are that we may have leads, and this time if they lead us somewhere, there will be severe punishment,” the AK boss stated.
“It did not affect our performance because nobody was shaken. All our athletes were tested three times, before in and after competition and I’m glad that other than the two girls everybody was clear, so let’s wait and see how the investigation will go on,” Kiplagat told local press.
Zakari, 29, a 400m a runner, burned the tartan to win her heat in 50.41 at the World Championships, a new national record that looks set to be chalked off the B-Samples return similar findings.
It was her second successive national standard performance after she broke Rose Waithera’s 51.56 set at the 1984 Olympics by winning the Kenya Championships in 51.14.
She subsequently missed the semis on the evening that Nicholas Bett made history with a first ever gold short distance gold medal in the men 400m Hurdles.
Francisca Koki in action during her women 400m Hurdles heat in Beijing. PHOTO/IAAF/Getty Images
Koki, who was competing in the women’s 400h Hurdles, did not make it to the semis after finishing seventh in 58.96.
The two are awaiting to know their punishment pending the conclusion of normal processes pertaining to doping busts after their A-Samples taken at the team hotel returned adverse findings.
