NAIROBI, November 12 – Kenyan sprinters; Joyce Zakari and Francesca Koki, whose A-Samples tested positive during the Beijing IAAF World Championships, will finally know their fate with a report into their cases due to be released soon.
The pair has been serving provisional suspension from competition handed by world governing body, IAAF, since August when they returned adverse findings from tests conducted at the team hotel in China where Kenya topped the world.
Athletics Kenya (AK) chief executive, Isaac Mwangi, said Thursday hearing into the cases has been concluded and they are in the process of compiling the report that will be released in the coming days.
Zakari and Koki who compete in the women 400m and 400m Hurdles races in that order, could be banned for two or four years or life should they be found culpable or acquitted and allowed to return to competition if their defences hold.
“We had a hearing on Monday. We normally take the athletes through the required procedures. The fact that someone has failed a doping test doesn’t not necessarily mean that they are culpable.
“There are many other factors to be considered and beside as Kenya, we are not only interested in sanctioning the athletes but we would like to know the source; who administered it to athletes, are they being cheated by someone or are they collaborating with pharmacists like we have seen in the past,” Mwangi said.
“Sanctioning an athlete will be one aspect but also following up to ensure things have been addressed from the root for us is the most important thing. So in the next few days, we will be able to conclude the two cases the hearings are still going on and we will be informing you soon,” the CEO added.
Zakari, 29 burned the tartan to win her heat in 50.41 at the World Championships, a new national record before she went missing from the semi finals and was subsequently disqualified.
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.
Her unexplained absence from the semis prompted speculation and later that evening; allegations started filtering out of China she had been informed of the failed test moments before Nicholas Bett made history with a first ever gold short distance gold medal in the men 400m Hurdles.
Koki bombed out during her women 400m Hurdles heat, finishing seventh in 58.96.