July 03, (THEWILL) – Kenya’s renowned marathon runner, Titus Ekiru, who holds the title of the sixth fastest man in history for the event, is currently under the spotlight with a potential 10-year ban looming over him.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), on Monday, revealed that Ekiru had been slammed with a provisional suspension for doping. The 31-year-old athlete with two marathon victories under his belt, including a remarkable 2 hours 2 minutes 57 seconds win in Milan back in May 2021, tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide, a glucocorticoid, after his Milan triumph.
Despite initially providing a credible explanation, stating the result was due to legitimate medical treatment, the AIU reopened the investigation into Ekiru’s case due to a concerning pattern of triamcinolone acetonide use among Kenyan athletes. Also, the AIU uncovered another positive test for pethidine following Ekiru’s triumph in Abu Dhabi in November 2021. Again, the athlete asserted the outcome resulted from legitimate medical treatment.
However, the subsequent wide-ranging investigations conducted in collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and other Kenyan authorities, led to the AIU rejecting Ekiru’s explanations. Instead, they charged him with two doping violations and the AIU firmly asserted that Ekiru had tampered with the results-management processes by providing falsified medical explanations and documentation for both positive tests.
Consequently, the 31-year-old marathoner now faces the prospect of a 10-year ban, pending the outcome of the investigations.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
