Who is guilty in Jeptoo's doping claims? As Kenya now face world scrutiny, by Muturi Mutuota, Standard (Kenya)

Soul searching in Kenya is happening over the Rita Jeptoo crisis. Here is a fine piece by Mutwari Mutuota, writing for the Kenyan media group, Standard.

Stories like this are quite fluid. Things go back and forth, and there are turns and changes that one would not expect. I am posting pieces from Kenyan media, that I believe give our readers a view of how this story is being seen in Kenya. Comments? Send to runblogrun@gmail.com.

Rita Jeptoo, photo by PhotoRun.net

Who is guilty in Jeptoo’s doping claims? as Kenya now face world scrutiny MUTWIRI MUTUOTA Updated Tuesday, November 4th 2014 at 00:00 GMT +3 0

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After battling and prevailing over many a storm at the helm of Athletics Kenya (AK) in his 22 year reign, Isaiah Kiplagat faces the biggest test of his leadership as the country continues to reel from the stunning news signature female marathon star, Rita Jeptoo has failed a dope test. Although the thrice Boston and twice Chicago marathon champion remains to be officially labelled a drug cheat since results of her B-Sample are yet to come in, her standing in the sport has exposed the nation to international scrutiny. A taste of what is to come was evident at Sunday’s New York Marathon where Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany ran to glory in close contests for the men and women crowns, but among the crowd, placard-waving protestors carried the “No to EPO” banners, the substance Jeptoo is widely reported to have tested positive from her A-Sample from an out of competition urine test on September 25.

Having dodged a number of bullets since the Beijing 2008 Olympics, AK has nowhere to hide after categorically denying the doping web had permeated the top echelons of the sport. “Why are we being victimised for our success? We have to appreciate it only that many reports have come out targeting athletes. Doping exists in every sport in Kenya, but because athletics shine a lot by breaking world records every time, it has invited sharp focus,” Kiplagat said last month in yet another spirited defence after a Government Anti-Doping Taskforce wrote in their report his federation was complicit in the fight against doping and the president censured for refusing to appear before it.

When RunBlogRun.com exclusively broke the Jeptoo story, with a straight face Kiplagat at first denied the federation had received notice from world body IAAF on Friday while all evidence pointed otherwise before the federation released a two-paragraph statement in the evening confirming the news.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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