Rio Olympic marathon champion banned for doping

The 2016 Rio Olympics women’s marathon champion will not have the opportunity to defend her title at the 2020 Games. Jemima Sumgong was handed a four-year suspension from competition on Monday from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya.

According to the decision, Sumgong, 32, took EPO, an illegal blood-boosting hormone, then told officials she had been given the substance in February by an unnamed doctor at a hospital in Kenya for treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg attaches itself outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube).

Sumgong was the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic marathon and the EPO was detected through an unannounced test by the IAAF as part of a program supported by the World Marathon Majors (WMM) organization, the coalition of races that put on the Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City marathons.

A written statement from Nick Bitel, general counsel to the World Marathon Majors, said that Sumgong has 21 days to appeal the anti-doping agency’s decision. If there’s no appeal or the decision is confirmed, her standings in the marathon majors will be annulled and Florence Kiplagat will be the winner of last year’s series.

“Sumgong would also be banned from all Abbott World Marathon Majors races for life,” the statement said. “We are determined to make marathon running a safe haven from doping. In addition to testing operated by the IAAF and national federations, Abbott WMM has set up one of the largest private testing pool of athletes in the sport, with the aim of testing 150 competitors out of competition a minimum of six times a year.”

Sumgong also won the 2016 London Marathon despite a late-race fall at an aid station. She placed second at the 2014 New York City Marathon and was runner up at the 2013 Chicago Marathon. At the 2014 Boston Marathon she placed third.