Marathon runner Rita Jeptoo's doping ban doubled to four years
Wednesday 26 October 2016 14:35, UK
Kenyan marathon runner Rita Jeptoo has had her doping ban doubled and been stripped of her 2014 Boston Marathon title, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has revealed.
Jeptoo was originally banned for two years by Athletics Kenya after testing positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in September 2014 but world athletics' governing IAAF challenged the ban and appealed to CAS for it to be increased.
The minimum sanction is two years but CAS found enough aggravating circumstances to double the ban and said it was obvious Jeptoo had used EPO "as part of a scheme or plan."
CAS said the evidence included Jeptoo's long relationship with her doctor, that her EPO use was "consistent with her competition calendar" and that she hid visits to her doctor from her coach and manager.
It added that her conduct was "deceptive and obstructive" throughout the proceedings.
CAS said the original two-year ban, due to end on Sunday, would be extended until October 30, 2018 and Jeptoo would be disqualified from all races in which she had taken part since April 17, 2014.
This includes the 2014 Boston marathon which she won in a time of two hours 18 minutes 57 seconds.
Jeptoo, who had already been disqualified from the Chicago Marathon she won the following October, retains the Boston and Chicago titles she claimed in 2013.
