NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – The Athletics Integrity Unit has issued a notice of charge to London 2017 IAAF World 800m bronze medalist Kipyegon Bett for failing to submit to sample collection and has been provisionally suspended from all competitions.
Bett becomes the fourth Kenyan this year to be charged with a doping offence by the AIU after triple World 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop, Simon Kalalei and long-distance athlete Lucy Kabuu.
The 20-year old who won the IAAF World Junior 800m title in Poland in 2016 will now not compete in any IAAF event until the case is resolved.
According to the AIU, A Provisional Suspension imposed in a non-doping case does not in any way abrogate the presumption of innocence and it is not an early determination of guilt. Rather, it is an order made on a precautionary basis to safeguard the interests of the sport.
In doping cases, a Provisional Suspension is mandatory under the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules following an adverse analytical finding for any non-specified substance on the Prohibited List.
Bett’s suspension comes just two weeks after Kabuu was handed a temporary suspension after her samples showed presence of morphine in her system which is a prohibited substance under the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) list.
Long distance runner Kalalei was temporarily suspended in June after his urine samples showed presence of blood boosting drug EPO, the same fate that befell multiple 1500m champion Kiprop.
Kiprop’s case however has already been referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal, same as Bahrain’s World 3,000m steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet whose urine samples also showed presence of EPO.