Lawrence Cherono banned for doping and fake documents

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has slapped the 2019 Chicago Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono with a seven-year ban for three anti-doping violations.

The 35-year-old athlete, known for his victories in the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019, tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine following an out-of-competition urine sample in May 2022. In a statement, the agency said the runner was guilty of an additional charge of tampering to mislead investigations into his positive test for the banned substance, trimetazidine.

The positive test initially earned Cherono a four-year ban. However, this was extended by an additional four years due to “submitting misleading, forged/falsified information,” according to the AIU. The total eight-year ban was reduced by one year due to Cherono’s “early admission and acceptance of the sanction.”

According to AIU’s account, the two-time Amsterdam Marathon champion presented falsified medical documents alleging to be his wife’s prescription for trimetazidine, which he unknowingly took to cure his muscle pains.

“However, in a subsequent written statement, Cherono said he had been inadvertently given Trimetazidine in the form of Carvidon tablets by his wife – instead of the painkillers he had requested – to treat muscle pain following training on 22 May 2022,” AIU said.

Cherono’s deceptive acts

They added: “According to the runner, his wife had been prescribed the Trimetazidine four days earlier at a medical centre. To support his explanation, Cherono provided a laboratory request from the medical facility, including handwritten details of medications prescribed for his wife, along with a photograph of the underside of tablets enclosed in their blister packaging.”

AIU’s statement further indicates that investigations into Cherono’s wife’s medical records at the medical centre – via a court order – revealed that she had never sought treatment at the facility.

“After its attempts to secure the wife’s medical records were repeatedly impeded, the AIU – through ADAK – gained a Court Order in Kenya compelling the medical centre to surrender the documents. In response, the medical centre said there were no records available for any treatment to the athlete’s wife since 1 May 2022,” they said.

The doping menace

This incident adds to a growing list of doping cases among Kenyan long-distance runners. In April 2023, the AIU highlighted large-scale doping issues in the country. Trimetazidine, a blood flow booster commonly known as TMZ, was also detected in Russian skater Kamila Valieva during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Wake up call

Cherono’s ban serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against doping in athletics, particularly in Kenya, a nation renowned for its long-distance running prowess. As the athletics community continues to grapple with these challenges, the integrity of the sport remains a crucial focus for regulatory bodies worldwide.

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