World Record Holder Disqualified for Doping: Ethiopian Runner Berihu Aregawi Shines Amid Scandal

Ethiopian runner Berihu Aregawi has set a new world record in men’s 10-kilometer road racing with a time of 26 minutes, 33 seconds. Meanwhile, Kenyan runner Rhonex Kipruto has been stripped of his world record and banned for six years in a doping case.

A disciplinary panel found abnormalities in Kipruto’s blood samples, indicating a deliberate doping regime with likely help from third parties. Despite this, no banned substances were found in Kipruto’s system. However, his biological passport data revealed irregularities over time that pointed to blood doping.

Kipruto’s defense cited illnesses, training habits, and increased alcohol use during the pandemic as contributing factors to the irregularities in his biological passport data. Nevertheless, the ban was extended to six years due to aggravating circumstances. All of Kipruto’s results since September 2018 have been disqualified, including a world championship bronze medal and his 10k road record.

Kipruto has stated on his website that he is considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming that the ruling did not consider crucial aspects of his health and circumstances. This case is part of a larger trend of doping cases involving Kenyan distance runners. Another Kenyan runner, Rodgers Kwemoi, was banned for six years in a similar case last month based on blood sample data.