Kenyan Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Jemima Sumgong Fails Drug Test

Jemima Sumgong, Kenya’s gold medalist in women marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Sumgong, 32, who became the first Kenyan woman to win gold in the marathon last year in addition to winning the London Marathon, has tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO, the IAAF said on Thursday. According to the IAAF, Sumgong tested positive in an out-of-competition test conducted in Kenya by the body.

“The IAAF can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week… "The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted by the IAAF in Kenya,” said the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in a statement.

"This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group,” added the IAAF.

If a second sample (B-sample) of the test also turns out positive, Sumgong could be stripped of her Olympics gold medal and banned from international competition for a period of several years.