I am clean, says Wanjiru after doping suspension

Former London Marathon winner Daniel Wanjiru has protested his innocence after he was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an alleged anti-doping rule violation.

The 27-year-old held off the challenge of Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele to win on the capital’s streets in 2017, but the AIU said Tuesday that he had been charged with a doping infringement.

Dutch based management company, Volare Sports, which represents the 2016 Amsterdam Marathon winner said received a Notice of Charge and Provisional Suspension for the violation by last Friday.

The company said the AIU charge was based on “alleged abnormal variations in the haematological profile” from Wanjiru’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

ABPs are used to monitor selected biological variables over time that indirectly reveal the effects of doping rather than attempting to detect the doping substance or method itself.

Under anti-doping rules Wanjiru is barred from competing until a hearing has taken place into the allegation.

Wanjiru lamented he was already being viewed as a ‘sinner of doping’ as he reiterated his innocence in a passionate statement delivered through Volare Sports’ social media pages.

“This statement comes from the heart. I am clean in the sports I do. The ABP finding is confusing and frustrating me. Specialists have informed me about how this can happen and I have come to realize there can be hundreds of reasons found why HB is fluctuating.

“I am innocent. It’s very painful what’s happening to me now. I’ve always believed that those athletes who are suspended because of a doping violation, were indeed guilty of what they did. But I’ve realized that being charged of guilt is just easy and now proving being unguilty is hard.

“I stand for clean sports. My results of the past came through hard work only. I have never used doping. We are currently investigating the case. Knowing I have never used anything, I have faith everything will be all right.”

Kenya is world famous for its dominance in long and middle-distance running, but over the last five years a series of doping scandals has tarnished its reputation with around 60 of the country’s athletes sanctioned for anti-doping violations.

In December, the Kenyan government said it was planning to impose criminal penalties – including possible jail terms – on athletes caught doping.

Last year, Kenyans Asbel Kiprop, Cyrus Rutto and Abraham Kiptum were given four-year bans, while Vincent Kipsegechi Yator received the same suspension earlier this month.

Wilson Kipsang, the former marathon world record holder and bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics, was provisionally banned in January for whereabouts failures and tampering with samples.