Three time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop has missed his first anti-doping test after completing his four year for use of Erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance in sports.
The former Olympic Games 1,500m champion while addressing athletes’ consultative forum in Iten that was attended by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Chief Executive Officer Brett Clothier and Athletics Kenya officials led by President Jack Tuwei, Kiprop said that he missed the test, not because he ran away from the testers but he was away after failing to update his whereabouts.
As much as he still remains innocent over his four year ban, he said that his innocence was paid off as a sacrifice of doping.
“Because I still have a few years of my running career, I don’t want to talk much about the past but I want to address the issue of whereabouts that the one hour period is challenging because you will never know when they will come, which is good for the sport,” said the former Africa Games 1,500m champion.
He said that it was an athletes’ negligence to miss the test courtesy of whereabouts that he has to battle with at the moment after failing to update in the Anti-Doping Administrative Management System (ADAMS).
“Sometimes, we may miss to log into the ADAMS and update your whereabouts and we may delay a little bit and doping officers may come and miss you. As you try to beat time, you arrive late. You run to the tester but you don’t run away from the tester and come late to 7 or 15 minutes. You meet them, you identify yourself and are willing to test you, you deliver the sample but they have already recorded a missed test though they have taken the tests. They will see you and take the test but they will report that you missed the test,” explained Kiprop.
He said that he received an email from Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) because on 23rd of February it happened.
“I was away in Eldoret while my whereabouts were here in Iten. And I was told that the testers are around at my location. I ran to the testers to beat time because I was away. How I drove that car, I know I broke all the traffic rules. I ran to the tester, I delivered my sample of blood and urine but my time was 15 minutes late, but yesterday I received an email of a missed test one, recorded against me,” said Kiprop.
He explained that initially he did not miss the test but the hour period so he wants to advocate to AIU and ADAK to reconsider the one hour 30 minutes to wait for the athletes in case he doesn’t come.
“I replied to the email that due to my negligence, because I don’t want to lie. I was not sick or got a few challenges but my negligence. I don’t want to lie to the testers and my issue should be addressed to the WADA to reconsider the one hour period because you will never know when they will come but I want to appreciate the way you are working to bring back the integrity in the sport,” he concluded.