Kenyan athlete Emmaculate Anyango suspended for doping offense
By Rama Mohammed |
Erythropoietin (EPO), banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2004 and previously prohibited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has once again cast a shadow over Kenyan athletics.
Emmaculate Anyango, a former silver medalist at the U20 African Championships in the 3000m, is the latest Kenyan athlete facing the threat of a lengthy ban after testing positive for the use of EPO. The 24-year-old has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), halting what was a meteoric rise in long-distance running.
Anyango first made a name for herself in 2019 in Abidjan, but her breakout year came in 2023 when she nearly shattered the 10km world record and secured second place at the Kenyan Trials for the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships.
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Her growing reputation as one of Kenya's brightest long-distance stars was solidified in 2023 when she won the prestigious Discovery Kenya Cross Country Championship. Throughout that year, she slashed her 5000m and 10km personal bests, running a remarkable 31:01 in Lille. Her sights were firmly set on a big 2024 season, and she began it in style, clocking an impressive 28:57 at the 2024 10K Valencia Ibercaja, the second-fastest time ever recorded by a woman in the event. Only fellow Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich ran faster that day, setting a new world record.
In February 2024, Anyango’s dominance continued as she triumphed at the Sirikwa Cross Country Classic in Eldoret. She further cemented her place in the national team after finishing runner-up to Ngetich at the Kenyan Cross-Country Trials in March, earning her a spot at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Serbia, where she helped Kenya secure team gold and placed fourth individually.
Now, however, her career hangs in the balance as the doping allegations threaten to overshadow her impressive achievements.
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