Athletics officials say Boston and Chicago Marathon champion tested positive for banned substances

NAIROBI, Kenya

A Kenyan winner of both the Boston and Chicago marathons was given a seven-year suspension on Wednesday by an international doping watchdog.

The ban on Lawrence Cherono by the Athletics Integrity Unit stems from a positive test for trimetazidine, a banned substance, in an out-of-competition sample collected in July 2022.

“The 35-year-old Kenyan, a two time major marathon winner and 12th fastest marathon runner of all time, was found to have breached Anti-Doping Rule (ADR) 2.1, relating to the Presence of a Prohibited Substance,” the unit said in a statement.

“This decision is testament to the tireless and persistent efforts of the AIU in investigating doping and the explanations provided for positive tests,” said Brett Clothier, who heads the watchdog.

The unit noted that Trimetazidine found in samples collected from Cherono is classified as a metabolic modulator and is prohibited in competition due to its potential performance-enhancing effects.

Cherono’s seven-year ban is effective from the date of his initial provisional suspension on July 16, 2022.

This ban follows a series of recent doping violations leading to lengthy bans that have cast a shadow over Kenyan athletics.

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“I feel truly betrayed that I meet the true aim of the current selection policy, but I am still not eligible to be selected because of an arbitrary standard set too high,” said Norris.

‘Tough standards improve performance levels’
Ian Beattie, the chair of UK Athletics, wrote a column in Athletics Weekly on Friday defending the policy. He highlighted the financial contribution that UKA must make to the Olympic team and claimed that “an athlete getting to the Olympics with little chance of qualifying from their heat or pool, does not have a significant impact on inspiring the nation, and therefore does not merit public funding”.

“I feel truly betrayed that I meet the true aim of the current selection policy, but I am still not eligible to be selected because of an arbitrary standard set too high,” said Norris.

‘Tough standards improve performance levels’
Ian Beattie, the chair of UK Athletics, wrote a column in Athletics Weekly on Friday defending the policy. He highlighted the financial contribution that UKA must make to the Olympic team and claimed that “an athlete getting to the Olympics with little chance of qualifying from their heat or pool, does not have a significant impact on inspiring the nation, and therefore does not merit public funding”.

“I feel truly betrayed that I meet the true aim of the current selection policy, but I am still not eligible to be selected because of an arbitrary standard set too high,” said Norris.

‘Tough standards improve performance levels’
Ian Beattie, the chair of UK Athletics, wrote a column in Athletics Weekly on Friday defending the policy. He highlighted the financial contribution that UKA must make to the Olympic team and claimed that “an athlete getting to the Olympics with little chance of qualifying from their heat or pool, does not have a significant impact on inspiring the nation, and therefore does not merit public funding”.