Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended former Chicago and Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono from competing at the World Athletics championships in Oregon, USA.
Today, the AIU revealed the information and Cherono, the two time Amsterdam marathon will not compete at the marathon race to leave the chance to Geoffrey Kamworor and Barnaba Kiptum.
According to the AIU, a sample collected from Cherono tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance that is prohibited under the 2022 WADA Prohibited List as a metabolic modulator.
The AIU further states that substances in this category modify how the body metabolizes fat. Trimetazidine is approved for use in some countries to treat chest pain stemming from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart.
It is a non-specified substance, and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such a substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules unless certain conditions apply.
The AIU collected Cherono’s sample during an out-of-competition test on May 23, which was then analyzed by a WADA accredited lab in Lausanne.
Cherono was notified of the positive test on Thursday last week when he arrived in Eugene in readiness for the World Championships where he formed the three man Kenyan team.