NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – Lawrence Cherono, the 2019 Boston and Chicago Marathon champion is out of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon after a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following a positive test for a banned substance.
The AIU revealed the information Saturday evening, meaning Cherono will not compete in the men’s marathon, leaving Kenya with only two competitors, Geoffrey Kamworor and Barnaba Kiptum.
According to the AIU, a sample collected from Cherono tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance that is prohibited under the 2022 WADA Prohibited List as a metabolic modulator.
The AIU further states that substances in this category modify how the body metabolizes fat. Trimetazidine is approved for use in some countries to treat chest pain stemming from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart.
It is a non-specified substance, and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such a substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules unless certain conditions apply.
The AIU collected Cherono’s sample during an out-of-competition test on May 23, which was then analyzed by a WADA accredited lab in Lausanne.
Cherono was notified of the positive test on Thursday last week when he arrived in Eugene in readiness for the World Championships where he formed the three man Kenyan team.
He was provided with an opportunity to show cause to the AIU why he should not be provisionally suspended.
Having considered Cherono’s submission made on Friday, the AIU has then determined that a provisional suspension should apply with immediate effect.
