On Friday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the provisional suspension of Kenyan distance running star Emmaculate Anyango Achol for the presence and use of multiple prohibited substances. If found guilty of violating anti-doping regulations, Achol could face a four-year ban from the sport.
The AIU announcement ruled her ineligible to participate in any athletics competition or activity until a decision is made at a hearing conducted under World Athletics anti-doping rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct. The notice of allegation was first issued to the 24-year-old on Sept. 26 due to the presence of testosterone and erythropoietin (EPO) in her sample.
The AIU has provisionally suspended Emmaculate Anyango Achol (Kenya) for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Testosterone and EPO)
Details here: https://t.co/Y8LF9j2o9f pic.twitter.com/bodHwRunZm— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) October 4, 2024
Testosterone and EPO, both banned substances, enhance red blood cell count, allowing more oxygen to reach an athlete’s muscles–thereby boosting aerobic capacity, endurance and recovery.
Kenya’s emerging star
Over the past year, Anyango Achol has been on the rise. The 24-year-old first began turning heads in January when she became the second-fastest female runner in history over 10km; she clocked 28:57 in Valencia, taking second to compatriot Agnes Jebet Ngetich, who ran 28:46. Both athletes went under Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s previous world record of 29:14, and are the only two women in history to break the 29-minute barrier.
Anyango Achol competed for Kenya’s cross-country team at the 2024 World Cross-Country championships in Belgrade, Serbia, in March. She took fourth individually, and helped Kenya secure a gold medal for the team. The Nike athlete was also the runner-up at the B.A.A. 5K in Boston in April, but missed out on representing Kenya at the Paris Olympics after taking sixth at the 10,000m Kenyan trials, held at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic.
