Sports Weekly

Athletic Publications (January 30, 2015)

Violations in Rita Jeptoo's Career

Could Cost Her Big!
2015 Female Boston
Marathon winner
exposed of using
performanceenhancing drugs.
Marathon runner puts Kenya in another devastating doping scandal. What's next for the big time female runner and her country?

Is a two year ban

enough?

The usage of performance-enhancing drugs puts a

risk factor into Rita Jeptoo's career. Her actions could
cost her big time for her near future as a professional
runner. Will the big competition of sports ever be free
of drugs?

Her punishment is still in discussion.

Rita Jeptoo from Nairobi, Kenya is well known as a
three-time winner of the Boston Marathon and twotime Chicago Marathon champion. Kenya's famed
distance runners are now being questioned as Jeptoo
is handed a two-year ban for doping. Before winning
her second straight Chicago Marathon title, two samples were tested positive last September in an out-ofcompetition test. Athletics Kenya announced that
Jeptoo was suspended from all competition until Oct.
29, 2016 ater testing positive for the blood-booster
EPO. The threatened penalty rules her out of this
year's world championships in Beijing and next year's

2012 Female Boston Marathon winner exposed of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The old World Anti-Doping Agency code, which was in eect when she tested
positive, results her with a maximum amount of a
two-year penalty for a first violation. That penalty
was doubled in the new code that went into eect
January 1. The Boston Athletic Association and the
Chicago Marathon are said to re-evaluate Jeptoo's
victories ater the IAAF completes the process and
any appeals are heard.
"Drugs and doping in our sport will not be tolerated," B.A.A. executive director Tom Grilk said in a
statement. "... We already have severe and defined
penalties, but the Rita Jeptoo case has brought to
light the need to work yet further in that regard to
ensure our sport. We are deeply disappointed in
the findings involving Rita Jeptoo, and we are
committed to upholding the integrity and credibility of the Boston Marathon."

Global Athletes

"Drugs and doping in our sport will

not be tolerated," -Tom Grilk
The top American woman finisher in Boston last year,
Shalane Flanagan, doesn't feel that Rita Jeptoo's
two-year ban is enough.
"My stance on anyone caught cheating or doping
is that they should receive a lifetime ban," Flanagan told ESPN. "Studies have shown that someone
who's tested positive for something like EPO,
which Rita apparently has used, have benefits that
go beyond just the usage. If she used EPO for a
number of years, she was able to train at a much
higher level during those years.
In recent years,33-year-old Jeptoo is the biggest
name among dozens of Kenyan athletes who have
failed drug tests.The World Anti-Doping Agency has
urged Kenya to step up its drug-testing program and
is working with the east African country to help set up
a national anti-doping body.The World Marathon Majors -- the six-race consortium that includes Boston,
London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and New York -- has
the authority to demand repayment of prize money
under the terms of its athletes' contract. However,
the punishment of stripping her titles will remainon
hold until the appeals process is exhausted.Her
$500,000 WMM bonus for winning both races last year
is also in limbo until the case has run its course.Many
other marathon runners hope to cease that Jeptoo's
punishment will cause a cease to using performanceenhancing drugs in sports. Ever since German broadcaster ARD alleged in 2012 that doping was common
among the country's distance runners, Kenya has
beenunder close scrutiny.Kiplagat, who stands to be
upgraded to winner of the World Marathon Majors,
said this month that Athletics Kenya has banned or
suspended 32 athletes for doping in the past five
years. Connections from Norway and Chinaare helping Kenya set up its own anti-doping agency.

Global Athletes

Global Athletes