‘Traumatised’ Kiprop vows to prove innocence

ELDORET, Kenya: Kenya’s former Olympic and world 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop said he was traumatised by the news that he failed a doping test for the banned blood-booster EPO and vowed to prove his innocence.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed on Friday that Kiprop has tested positive following an out-of-competition test in November last year.

“My family and I are devastated. I am traumatised,” Kiprop, a Chief Inspector in Kenya’s police force, told Reuters on Saturday.

“The line of questioning I was subjected to earlier strongly suggested somebody had an axe to grind.”

Kiprop, 28, said in a long statement on Thursday that his urine sample might have been tampered with by testers who tipped him off about their visit and took a payment from him.

The AIU, an Independent body set up to combat corruption and unethical conduct within athletics on behalf of the sport’s ruling body the IAAF, said it had investigated and was satisfied there was no interference with Kiprop’s sample.

The AIU said Kiprop had been given advance notice which contravenes the World Anti-Doping Agency’s guidelines stating that out-of-competition tests should be conducted without prior notice to athletes.

“I have worked so hard to build a career since 2003 when I was 13 years old. The achievements I made are crumbling before my own eyes, for a crime that I have not committed,” Kiprop said.

“In the court of public opinion, as an advocate of clean sports, I know I am very innocent. I am accused of something that I have never committed.

“I have been tough on dopers, and even called for a law to criminalise doping and to punish dopers including imprisonment. “I will fight the case to prove my innocence to the end.”