Two Runners Banned for Doping Offences

Two prominent athletes, Lawrence Cherono and Randolph Ross, have been banned for doping offences, disrupting their plans to compete on Sunday. Cherono was set to run in the men’s marathon, while Ross was to participate in the 400m heats.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that Cherono tested positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance, following an out-of-competition test on May 23. Ross faced a ban for allegedly “tampering with the doping control process.”

Cherono, 33, has an impressive record, having won the Boston and Chicago marathons and finishing fourth in the Tokyo Olympics last year. The AIU stated that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory in Lausanne notified them of Cherono’s positive result on July 13. By then, Cherono was already en route to Eugene. He was informed of the result upon arrival on Thursday and unsuccessfully appealed on Friday.

The AIU criticized the laboratory for reporting the positive result 47 days after the test, whereas WADA rules stipulate a 20-day window. This delay, according to the AIU, “denied the opportunity for another Kenyan athlete to take the place of Mr Cherono in the marathon.”

Ross, 21, was a member of the American gold-medal-winning 400m relay team in Tokyo, contributing in the heats but not the final. The AIU’s allegations against Ross stem from his conduct during an investigation into a potential whereabouts violation following a missed test on June 18.

These bans underscore the ongoing challenges in maintaining the integrity of athletics and ensuring a level playing field for all competitors.