World marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir provisionally suspended after EPO positive test

The Athletics Integrity Unit confirmed that Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended after a Kenyan-collected sample revealed the presence of the banned substance EPO. Jepchirchir, who claimed the world marathon title in Tokyo last September and secured Olympic gold in the marathon at the 2020 Games, tested positive before her victory at the Sydney Marathon in August. The AIU issued the suspension on Friday, a day after Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga received a six-year ban for methylprednisolone use and evidence tampering.

Jepchirchir, a four-time World Marathon Major champion and former world-record holder in both the half-marathon and women’s-only marathon, had missed the London Marathon because of a stress fracture sustained after a second-place finish in Valencia. She returned to elite competition in Sydney and is ranked fifth worldwide.