AIU suspends Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto over anti-doping violation

World 10km record holder Rhonex Kipruto has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over a doping offence.

In a statement, AIU issued notice of charge to Kipruto over use of a prohibited substance owing to the anomalies on his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

“Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (Article 2.2) - ABP case” AIU stated on twitter.

Kipruto broke the world 10km record when he ran 26 minutes and 24 seconds in Valencia, Spain in January, 2020.

The 23-year-old won the world junior 10,000m title in 2018 in Tampere, Finland before bagging bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

After a late inclusion in Kenya’s team, Kipruto went on to finish ninth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Kipruto’s suspension comes just three weeks after another Kenyan Nicholas Kosimbei was provisionally suspended for testing positive to a prohibited substance Trimetazidine.