Kenya's Lempus banned for five years for doping

Kenya's Betty Lempus has been banned for five years for using the banned substance triamcinolone acetonide, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Thursday.

The 31-year-old was tested following her win at the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris (Paris Half Marathon) in September 2021.

The AIU said as a consequence it had also disqualified Lempus' results from the day the test was conducted, meaning she has been stripped of her Paris title.

"The Athlete has accepted the above Consequences for her anti-doping rule violations and has expressly waived her right to have those Consequences determined by the Disciplinary Tribunal at a hearing," the AIU said in a statement.

Triamcinolone acetonide, a substance prohibited in-competition when administered in certain ways, falls under the banned category of glucocorticoids, commonly used as therapeutic substances in sports.

"(Glucocorticoids) are prohibited in-competition because, when administered via prohibited routes, there is clear evidence of systemic effects which could potentially enhance performance and be harmful to health," the AIU said.

Their use is permitted if athletes can produce an exemption or proof that administration is not through a prohibited route.

Lembus had claimed the substance had entered her system through a medical injection in August 2021 by Dr Philip Murey at the Uasin Gishu County Hospital in Eldoret.

An investigation by the AIU, with the help of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (“ADAK”), revealed she did not receive the injection and the hospital did not employ a Dr Philip Murey.