The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has imposed a seven-year ban on Kenyan marathon runner Lawrence Cherono, effective July 2022, after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine.
Cherono, who won the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019, provided a urine sample in May 2022 that revealed the presence of the banned substance.
The AIU announced that Cherono’s ban is a result of both the positive test and submitting misleading information. The initial four-year ban for the doping violation was extended by an additional four years for tampering with doping control but was reduced by one year due to Cherono’s early admission and acceptance of the sanction.
This development comes amid a string of doping cases involving Kenyan long-distance runners in recent years. In April 2023, the AIU condemned the widespread doping in Kenya. Trimetazidine, also known as TMZ, is a blood flow booster that has been detected in other high-profile cases, including Russian skater Kamila Valieva during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and 23 Chinese swimmers ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Cherono’s ban means he will be unable to compete until 2029, a significant setback for the 35-year-old athlete. The AIU’s decision serves as a reminder of the strict anti-doping measures in place to ensure fair play in athletics.
