NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 14 – Kenya’s 2017 London Marathon champion Daniel Kinyua Wanjiru has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an Athlete Biological Passport violation under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
According to AIU, Wanjiru, a two-time Prague Half Marathon winner in 2015 and 2016, is accused of breaching Article 2.2 of World Anti-Doping Rules as far as Athlete Blood Passport – (ABP) is concerned, after irregularities were detected in his samples.
The Article 2.2, states that; “Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method. It has always been the case that Use or Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method may be established by any reliable means.”
“The AIU has provisionally suspended marathon specialist Daniel Kinyua Wanjiru of Kenya with immediate effect for an Athlete Biological Passport violation under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules,” the AIU announced.
An athlete biological passport is an individual electronic record for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time.
Doping violations can be detected by noting variances from an athlete’s established levels outside permissible limits, rather than testing for and identifying illegal substances.
Wanjiru, 27, also holds the Amsterdam Marathon title that he clinched in 2016, where he clocked 2:05:21, a time that remains his Personal Best.
His last appearance was in the 2019 London Marathon where he finished 11th returning 2:08:40.
Wanjiru becomes the latest high profile Kenyan elite athlete to be provisionally suspended by the AIU after former Marathon World Record Holder Wilson Kipsang was in January charged for whereabouts failures and tampering, both violations of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
