Dj Vnyash
Kenyan marathon runner Lawrence Cherono has received a seven-year ban for violating doping regulations, as announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Wednesday. The 35-year-old, who won the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019, tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in an out-of-competition urine sample taken in May 2022.
“The AIU has banned Lawrence Cherono (Kenya) for 7 years from 16 July, 2022 for the presence/use of a prohibited substance (trimetazidine), tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control,” stated the AIU.
Cherono’s suspension is retroactive to July 2022, coinciding with the start of his provisional suspension, and will keep him out of competitions until 2029. His positive test initially resulted in a four-year ban, with an additional four years added for providing “misleading, forged/falsified information,” according to the AIU. However, the total ban was reduced by one year due to Cherono’s early admission and acceptance of the sanction.
Kenya has faced numerous doping cases involving its long-distance runners in recent years. In April 2023, the AIU highlighted widespread doping issues in the country. Trimetazidine, also known as TMZ, is a blood flow enhancer and was found in Russian skater Kamila Valieva during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) faced scrutiny in April after it was revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. WADA allowed the swimmers to compete after accepting China’s findings that the substance was ingested unintentionally through food at a meet in late 2020 and early 2021.
