(Reuters) – Former steeplechase world champion Norah Jeruto has had her provisional suspension for an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) lifted with immediate effect after the charge was not proven, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday.
A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal ruled that the charges were dismissed and no period of ineligibility should be imposed on Jeruto, which means she is free to compete in the Paris Olympics next year.
Jeruto, formerly a Kenyan who switched allegiance to Kazakhstan, won the 3,000 metres steeplechase gold at the 2022 world championships in Eugene where she also set a championship record, which was the third-fastest of all time.
But she could not defend her title this year after she had been suspended “for the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP)”. ABP refers to the Athlete Biological Passport, which shows discrepancies that can reveal the effects of doping.
The AIU said blood samples collected on three separate occasions in 2020 and 2021 had several abnormalities which World Athletics claimed was “clear evidence” of ADRVs.
Jeruto said she had been suffering from bleeding ulcers that led to hospitalisation due to internal bleeding, which was a plausible explanation for her samples showing she had lost blood. She had also tested positive for COVID-19.
But with no banned substances detected, the AIU were unable to prove the re-administration of blood products that improve endurance as part of a transfusion, which meant the provisional suspension was lifted.
The decision can still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
