Wilson Kipsang suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit

Kenyan marathon runner, Wilson Kipsang, has been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for “whereabouts failures” and “tampering”.

Kipsang, 37, who has won marathons in London, Berlin, Tokyo and New York, is now banned from competing professionally until his hearing is concluded.

His management team, Volare Sports, emphasised he has not been found to have taken any banned substances and he had not failed a drugs test.

In a statement they said “The accusation regarding alleged/attempted tampering concerns an explanation that was given in the results management process regarding a possible Whereabouts Failure and does not concern tampering with a doping test itself”.

The AIU, an international body founded to combat combat in world athletics in 2017, confirmed the suspension.

Part of anti-doping regulations stipulate an athlete must inform testing authorities of their whereabouts for a window of one hour every day.

Not being present at the time they said they would, or inaccurate or misleading information counts as one failure, three of which recorded within a 12-month period leads to an automatic ban.

The AIU said it “will be taking a more stringent approach to whereabouts requirements in 2020” on its website.

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