Kenyan 1500m Olympic Champion Asbel Kiprop Tests Positive for a Banned Substance

1500m Olympic and three times world champion Asbel Kiprop has reportedly become the latest high profile Kenyan runner to test positive for a banned substance.

His agent, Federico Rosa, however, said he was not aware of the news, but had "heard the same rumour" and was 'still trying to get confirmation."

Daily Mail reports that senior athletics sources had confirmed that Kiprop, one of the finest 1500m runner of the last decade, has failed an out of competition test.

Last year, another Kenyan, Jemima Sumgong, the Olympic women’s marathon champion in Rio in 2016, also tested positive for EPO and was slapped with a 4-year ban.

Kiprop shot to limelight in 2008 when he finished second in the Olympic 1500m final in Beijing at the age of 19. He went on to become the 2011, 2013 and 2015,world champion,  running the third fastest 1500m in history in 2015.

Reports in Kenya on Tuesday said a ‘high profile runner’ was embroiled in a doping scandal, but the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) or Athletics Kenya (AK), is yet to confirm the reports.
In a statement on social media, the 28-year-old vowed to prove that he is clean.

 "I have read the reports linking me to doping. As an athlete, I have been at the forefront of the fight against doping in Kenya. A fight I strongly believe in and support. I would not want to ruin all what I have worked for since my first international race in 2007. I hope I can prove that I am a clean athlete in every way possible."