The former Boston and Chicago marathon champion Lawrence Cherono has been handed seven years ban by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for violating anti-doping rules.
Cherono, who was suspended in 2022 during the world championships in Oregon, USA, was handed four-year for tampering or attempted tampering of the doping control, with the overall punishment reduced by one year after his admission and acceptance for use of trimetazidine in an out-of-competition test.
The 35-year-old said he had been experiencing stomach problems and claimed a doctor had injected him with an unknown substance only to give a different explanation later, when he blamed the issue on a mix-up with his wife’s medication.
Cherono’s seven-year ban starts on July 16, 2022, the date of his provisional suspension, meaning he will be out until 2029, by which time he will be 40 years old.
The marathoner won the Boston and Chicago Marathons in 2019 before second place in Valencia the following year.