Olympic Champion Asbel Kiprop Handed Four-Year Ban for Using Prohibited Substance

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has handed Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop a four-year ban.

The three-time World 1500m champion has been handed the penalty after testing positive for the banned substance EPO.

In a statement, AIU says the Kenyan runner was found culpable of using the prohibited substance in an out of competition test carried out in November 2017.

“Analysis of the sample collected from the athlete on 27 November 2017 demonstrated the presence of EPO. Analysis of the B sample confirmed the adverse analytical finding."

"EPO is a prohibited substance included in section 2 of the WADA 2017 Prohibited List, Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics,” part of the statement reads.

Kiprop, who was provisionally suspended in February 2018, has maintained his innocence.

Last month, Kiprop and his attorney Katwa Kigen traveled to the United Kingdom for a final decision, but the verdict was deferred for the fourth time.

“None of the medications disclosed by the athlete on the DCF contains EPO and none of them could have caused the Adverse Analytical Finding. The presence of EPO in the sample, therefore, remains as valid evidence in support of the charge against the athlete for the presence and use of EPO,” AIU's statement adds.

The ban means the 29-year-old middle-distance athlete will be stripped off all the honors he achieved since November 27th, 2017.

“The athletes results from the date of anti-doping violation November 27, 2017, until the date of his provisional suspension February 3, 2018, shall be disqualified with all consequences, including the forfeiture of any medals, titles, awards, points, prize, and appearance money,” AIU notes.