In February 2024 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Spanish Athlete Mohamed Katir for his Whereabouts Filing Failures and Missed Tests within a 12 month period:

• a Filing Failure on 28 February 2023;
• a Missed Test / Filing Failure on 3 April 2023;
• a Missed Test / Filing Failure on 10 October 2023.

Regarding the first Whereabouts Filing Failure in February 2023 the Athlete explained that he had received a call from his fiancée that she was feeling unwell. He immediately booked a flight to Portugal and updated his Whereabouts information.

Regarding his failure in April 2023 the Athlete explained that during the days before the Mssed Test multiple times he could not update his Whereabouts information in ADAMS due to technical problems with his App.

After the Missed Test in October 2023 he stated that he was surprised to see that his 60-minute time slot was set between 19:20 and 20:20. He asserted that there must have been a system error as prior he had set his 60 minutes time slot between 07:00 and 08:00 uur.

The AIU assessed and addressed the Athlete's explanations and evidence and made the following conclusions:

• The Athlete's flight to Portugal in February 2023 was booked 2 days before his departure and not last minute as claimed by the Athlete.
• He did not timely update his Whereabouts in February 2023 and provided inaccurate information.
• At the material time in April 2023 there had been no technical problems with ADAMS, nor were multiple log in attempts recorded.
• Before the Missed Test in April 2023 his updates in ADAMS were inaccurate and incomplete.
• On the day of the Missed Test in April 2023 he updated his Whereabouts 20 minutes after the arrival of the Doping Control Officer (DCO) and not prior to his 60-minutes timeslot in ADAMS as claimed.
• In October 2023 he had changed his 60-minutes time slot in ADAMS after the DCO had concluded his attempt to locate the Athlete.

Ultimately the Athlete admitted the anti-doping rule violation and signed and submitted an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences Form.

Therefore on 16 February 2024 the AIU decides to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 7 February 2024.

In January 2024 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf on World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Mueni Mutua after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substances Trimetazidine and Testosterone and its metabolites.

After notification the Athlete failed to respond. Hereafter the AIU established that its prior correspondence had been submitted to and incorrect e-mail address for the Athlete. Thereupon the AIU reissued the notification in April 2024.

Following the new notification the Athlete timely admitted the violation, waived her right for a hearing, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by the AIU.

The AIU determines that the Athlete failed to establish that the violation was not intentional. Further it deems that there are aggravating circumstances present in this case that justifies the imposition of a more severe sanction.

Because the Athlete had signed and submitted the Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form she received a 1 year reduction from the AIU.

Therefore the AIU decides on 12 April 2024 to impose a 5 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 29 January 2024.

In March 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Norah Jeruto because the Athlete’s hematological profile “highly likely” showed that she had used a prohibited substance or a prohibited method: the use of EPO or Blood doping. 

This conclusion was based on assessment of blood samples, collected in the period between 20 November 2017 and 2 May 2022 reported in the Athlete’s Biological Passport (ABP). After notification the Athlete filed a statement in her defence an she was heard for the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal.

The Athlete explained with evidence that she suffered from bleeding ulcers and anaemia in 2020 and 2021 and underwent several treaments with medication. Further she contracted COVID-19 at the material time and also received treatment and medication for this condition.

In view of the evidence the majority of the Panel is not satisfied that an anti-doping rule violation had been committed even if it had considered the evidence of blood withdrawal was sufficient of itself to constitute Attempted Use.

The Panel is also not satisfied to accept that the ABP abnormalities were consistent with the use of a relatively low dose of EPO. The majority of the Panel is rather persuaded that a bout of COVID-19 had caused the abnormalities in the Athlete's APP at the material time.

Therefore the Panel decides on 27 October 2023 that:

• the charges against the Athlete are dismissed;
• no period of ineligibility is imposed on the Athlete and no results are disqualified;
• the Athlete's provisional suspension is lifted with immediate effect.

In February 2024 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf on World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Norbert Kigen after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Testosterone and its metabolites.

Following notification the Athlete timely admitted the violation, waived his right for a hearing, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by the AIU.

The AIU deems that the Athlete failed to demonstrate that the violation was not intentional. Because he had signed and submitted the Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form he received a 1 year reduction from the AIU.

Therefore the AIU decides on 8 March 2024 to impose a 3 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 27 February 2024.

In October 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Ugandan Athlete Prisca Chesang after her A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Furosemide.

Following notification the Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and could not explain how the substance had entered her system. Further she objected to accept a provisional suspension.

Nevertheless in December 2023 the provisional suspension was ordered and thereupon in Januari 2024 the Athlete's legal representatives informed the AIU that they had withdrawn from representing the Athlete. Hereafter the Athlete failed to respond to the AIU communications.

The AIU concludes that the Athlete failed to prove that the violation was not intentional, nor the source of the prohibited substance. Because she did not respond within the set deadline the AIU determines in January 2024 that she was deemed to have admitted the violation, waived her right for a hearing and accepted the consequences.

Therefore the AIU decides on 23 January 2024 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 6 December 2023.

In July 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenya Athlete Purity Temutai Komen after her sample, collected in October 2022, tested positive for the prohibited substances 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone (Nandrolone).

In addition the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) had reported to the AIU that the Athlete had evaded Doping Control in May 2023 during several attempts by their Doping Control Officers to locate the Athlete for testing.

Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered by the AIU. At first the Athlete responded, yet thereupon she failed to submit any explanation to the AIU for the alleged anti-doping rule violations.

Because she did not respond within the set deadline the AIU determines in February 2024 that the Athlete was deemed to have waived her right for a hearing and accepted the consequences. In addition the AIU establishes that she had had failed to sign and submit the Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form.

Furthermore the AIU finds that there are aggravating circumstances present in this case because the Athlete had committed multiple anti-doping rule violations. Finally these violations are considered together as one first anti-doping rule violation.

Therefore the AIU decides on 5 March 2024 to impose a 6 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 6 July 2023.

In September 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Rebecca Jepchirchir Korir after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Methylprednisolone.

Following notification the Athlete explained that she had used painkillers for her injury that might have caused the positive test. Although the violation was considered not intentional the AIU finds that she failed to explain how the prohibited substance had entered her system.

Thereupon a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete failed to respond to the AIU communications. Because she did not respond within the set deadline the AIU determines in November 2023 that the Athlete was deemed to have waived her right for a hearing and accepted the consequences.

Therefore the AIU decides on 13 December 2023 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 2 November 2023.

In December 2023 and in January 2024 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported 2 anti-doping rule violations against the Bahrain Kenyan Athlete Rosemary Mumo Katua. The AIU established that her two samples, provided in October and in November 2023, tested positive for the prohibited substance Triamcinolone acetonide.

Previously the Athlete was sanctioned for 3 years until December 2020 for the presence in her sample of the banned substance Nandrolone.

Following the two notifications in December 2023 and in January 2024 the Athlete timely admitted both violations, waived her right for a hearing, accepted a provisional suspension and the sanction proposed by the AIU. The Athlete also filed an application for a retroactive TUE, yet this was denied due to her application was returned to the Athlete as incomplete.

The AIU finds that the Athlete had committed a second anti-doping rule violation and that both reported violations shall be considered as one single anti-doping rule violation. Further the AIU considers that the Athlete's violation was not intentional and that she timely had admitted both reported violations.

Therefore the AIU decides on 7 March 2024 to impose a reduced 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the first admission, i.e. 19 December 2023.

The Moroccan Athlete Fouad Idbafdil participated in marathons in Marocco in May 2022, the United Arab Emirates in November 2022 and Saudi Arabia in February 2023 where he provided his samples.

Hereafter in March 2023 the Moroccan Anti-Doping Agency (AMAD) and in April 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) reported multiple anti-doping rule violations against the Athlete after his samples tested positive for the prohibited substances Erythropoietin (EPO) and Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA).

Following notification by AMAD in March 2023 a provisional suspension was ordered. Initially the Athlete denied the intentional use of the substances and requested the AIU for a hearing. He stated that he previously had received medical treatments. However the AIU established that these treatments could not explain the positive test results.

Ultimately in December 2023 the Athlete admitted the violation, waived his right for a hearing and signed and submitted the Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form.

The AIU finds that the Athlete's 3 anti-doping rule violations shall be considered together as one single first violation. Furthermore the AIU deems that there are aggravating circumstances present in this case because the Athlete had used 2 prohibited substances for months.

Therefore the AIU decides on 14 December 2023 to impose a 6 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 14 March 2023.

Related case:

IAAF 2019 IAAF vs Sarah Chepchirchir
November 28, 2019

In December 2023 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on behalf of World Athletics, reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Kenyan Athlete Sarah Chepchirchir after her sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Testosterone.

Previously the Athlete had served a sanction of 4 years, until 9 February 2023, because of the abnormalities in her Athlete Biological Passport.

Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The AIU established that this is the Athlete's second anti-doping rule violation and that she failed at all to respond at all or to provide any information to the AIU.

Because of the Athlete's failure to respond within the set deadline the AIU in February 2024 determines that she was deemed to have waived her right to a hearing, to have admitted the anti-doping rule violation and to have accepted the consequences.

Therefor the AIU decides on 13 February 2024 to impose an 8 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 22 December 2023.