Kenyan marathon runner Lawrence Cherono has been handed a seven-year ban for violating anti-doping regulations.
The 35-year-old received a four-year ban for testing positive for a prohibited substance, plus an additional four years for tampering with or attempting to mislead the investigation. However, this was reduced by one year for his early admission and acceptance of the sanction.
Cherono was provisionally suspended in July 2022 after testing positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ).
The ban is retroactive to his initial suspension, preventing Cherono from competing until 2029.
The former Boston and Chicago marathon winner initially attributed the positive test to an injection administered by a doctor for stomach pain. Cherono later changed his explanation, claiming a mix-up with his wife’s medication.
Brett Clothier, head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), stated that the ban “sends a strong signal” to anyone contemplating breaking the rules.
“This decision is testament to the tireless and persistent efforts of the AIU in investigating doping and the explanations provided for positive tests,” he added.
“The AIU will leave no stone unturned in carrying out its mandate.”
Earlier this year, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a four-year suspension after testing positive for TMZ just before the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In 2021, 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for the drug were allowed to participate in the Tokyo Games after the China Anti-Doping Agency concluded they had inadvertently ingested the substance due to contamination.