Kenyan long-distance runner Lawrence Cherono, a prominent figure in the marathon world with victories at the Boston and Chicago marathons, has been handed a seven-year ban for doping violations and attempting to use fabricated documents to explain his failed drug test.
The ban stems from Cherono testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in 2022, leading to his suspension just before his scheduled participation in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Cherono, known for his impressive personal-best time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 4 seconds achieved in 2020, which stands as the 12th fastest in history, now faces a setback in his athletic career due to the imposed ban.
After a lengthy investigation lasting nearly two years, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced its decision on Wednesday, revealing that Cherono had not only violated anti-doping regulations but also engaged in tampering with the doping control process in an effort to evade consequences.
Cherono's attempts to justify his positive test involved claiming he was injected with an 'unknown substance' by a doctor for a stomach ailment and implicating his training partners out of jealousy. He further submitted falsified documents from a clinic to support a narrative that his wife mistakenly provided him with prescription medication instead of painkillers.
However, scrutiny of medical records from Kenya, obtained through legal channels, revealed no evidence to support Cherono's claims regarding his wife's medical treatment, as stated by the AIU.
This development casts a shadow over Cherono's illustrious running career, potentially marking the end of his competitive journey at the age of 35. The ban, retroactively applied to the start of his provisional suspension in 2022, serves as a significant blow to the once-celebrated athlete.
Cherono's fall from grace underscores the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency in sports, emphasizing the severe consequences of doping violations and attempts to deceive anti-doping authorities.
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