Kenya's Olympic marathon champion gets doping ban

Kenya's Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong has been suspended for four years for doping.

The 32-year-old was found to have taken banned blood-booster EPO in an out-of-competition test in her home country.

Sumgong, who also tested positive for a banned substance in 2012, won the London Marathon in 2016 before claiming gold in Rio, becoming the first Kenyan woman to take the title.

Her ban starts from 3 April, when she was provisionally suspended.

EPO, also known as erythropoietin, is a hormone that can increase endurance and, in athletics, is used mainly by long distance-runners.

 

Between 2011 and 2016, more than 40 Kenyan track-and-field athletes failed doping tests.

Among those sanctioned was Sumgong's former training partner Rita Jeptoo, 36, who was banned for four years following a positive test for EPO in 2014.

Sumgong was in involved in a dramatic incident in last year's London Marathon when she fell during the race but recovered to win the title.