Kiprop makes astonishing doping claims
ASBEL KIPROP, the former Olympic and three-times world 1500m champion, has made the extraordinary claim that he was the victim of corrupt anti-doping officials after being informed by the authorities that he had failed a drugs test. As revealed on Wednesday, the 28-yearold Kenyan has tested positive for a banned substance — believed to be the blood-boosting drug, EPO — and will be hit with a lengthy ban should the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit conclude that he has committed an anti-doping rule violation. Kiprop said he was ‘told for the first time that my sample turned positive on 3rd February 2018’. But he responded to revelations by denying any wrongdoing and making a series of astonishing claims in a 1,400-word statement issued via an African journalist on social media. Kiprop said his sample had been tampered with and that he was tipped off in advance by Kenyan doping control officers that they would be visiting him for an out-of-competition test. When they arrived he said they then extorted money out of him. He also said he was offered an IAAF ambassadorial role if he admitted he had cheated, despite that particular allegation making little sense. In what would be a serious breach of regulations, Kiprop said that on ‘26th November 2017’ he was ‘notified by way of telephone call from an anti-doping agent, Mr Simon Karugu ‘Mburu’ to be available for doping test on 27th November 2017’ at his ‘disclosed whereabouts’ in Iten, Kenya. The next morning, Kiprop claims, Karugu and Paul Scott visited his house and he gave a sample.‘I am told EPO is put into the body using injection,’ he said. ‘The last time I had an injection was in 2014 when I was given a yellow fever vaccination.’ Kiprop then claims the Doping Control Officers asked him if he ‘could give them some money’, and he says he paid using an app on his mobile phone. Yesterday, the journalist through which Kiprop issued his statement claimed the AIU had confirmed there had been a breach of regulations by Doping Control Officers. A source close to Kiprop also claimed the AIU had in fact rejected his claims.