Former World 1,500m Athletics Champion Elijah Manangoi Suspended

Former 1500 meters world champion Elijah Manangoi has been provisionally suspended for whereabouts failure, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Thursday.

The 27-year-old middle-distance runner won gold at the 2017 World Championships in London and is the current holder of the Continental Cup.

Apart from Manangoi, AIU also banned another Kenyan Mercy Kibarus for eight years for the presence of a prohibited substance as Kenneth Kipkemoi got two years ban over a similar offence.

Long-distance runner Patrick Siele has also been suspended over ‘Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection’.

However, Manangoi denied wrongdoing saying that he has always competed as a clean athlete and detests doping.

“News of my suspension by the AIU for three missed tests is really devastating for me and I’m trying to get my head around it. What I can say is each of the missed tests happened during 2019, my case has nothing to do with prohibited substances and I’ve always competed as a clean athlete,” Manangoi said in a statement sent to newsrooms on Thursday.

“Last year was the worst period of my career when I was upset through injury which impacted everything on and off the track. I know I’ve let people down, in particular, my coach and fellow athletes and I also know that no matter what I say here I’ll be criticised.

“The facts of the cases are clear in my mind and I’m sure there will be a time when it is appropriate to go into more detail. But right now I’m focused on compiling a formal response to the AIU so won’t be commenting further.”

Under anti-doping regulations, athletes have to inform testing authorities of their whereabouts for a one hour window of every day and three failures — not being present at the said time — within 12 months leads to an automatic ban.