The @iaaforg Disciplinary Tribunal has banned former Olympic and world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya for four-years starting 03 Feb 2018.
Before the decision, Kiprop had been tentatively suspended by International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) in May last year for having tested positive to EPO, a blood-boosting banned substance in an out-of-competition test. The tests were conducted in November 2017 at Kiprop's home in Iten.
During his hearing, Kiprop claimed that the positive EPO test came to be because drug control officers tampered with his sample. He had also made claims that money was demanded from him at the time the tests were run.
Kigen, his lawyer, had told the Tribunal that EPO stays in the blood for maximum three months, hence it could not help in respect to Kiprop's competition which was seven months away.
He had also said that the person who collected the sample, asked for money, and gave the irregular tip-off was withdrawn from the case and his role in the process left blank. This he said proves that there process was flawed.
The Tribunal heard that no declaration was made that the vessel used to collect the sample was clean, uncontaminated and not spiked as required in IAAF sample collection regulations.
"To date, WADA whose accredited laboratory was used to examine the sample states that there are no results on Asbel's sample. This is, in contradistinction from what IAAF/AIU alleged as positive results," heard the Tribunal.
Kigen maintained that Asbel's blood samples for November 22, 2017, being five days before he was implicated did not support the alleged existence of EPO neither does blood sample collected two days after, November 29.
The lawyer also mentioned that the sample was initially sent to the wrong address, other than the laboratory where it was meant to go for testing.
He said his client despite being told IAAF/AIU would collect samples, he availed himself and did as instructed. "If Kiprop had doped, he would not have availed himself for testing," he had said.
The athlete has always maintained his innocence.