Olympic champion Jebet one of 103 athletes under AIU spotlight

MONACO: Olympic steeplechase gold medallist Ruth Jebet is among 109 athletes and coaches facing disciplinary action for alleged doping offences, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced Friday.

The AIU, the independent body that manages all doping and non-doping integrity-related matters in athletics, took the step of releasing the details to protect track and field’s “integrity and reputation” and for increased “transparency”.

Kenyan-born Jebet, also the world record holder, won Olympic gold for Bahrain but has since been suspended after an urine test showed traces of banned blood booster EPO.Also among the 103 athletes listed, 85 of whom were world or Olympic medallists, were Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop, three-time world 1500m champion and also an Olympic gold medallist, and Russian high jumper Ivan Ukhov, who won gold at the 2012 London Games.

“Transparency and integrity go hand in hand,” said AIU chairperson David Howman.“The Athletics Integrity Unit believes that the transparency measures unveiled today signal best practice in sport and will help instil greater public confidence in the integrity of athletics and the operations of the AIU.”