Ruth Chepngetich surpassed the previous record holder's women's marathon world record by nearly two minutes at the marathon event in Chicago in the year 2024.
Female long-distance global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for three years after the runner admitted to anti-doping rule violations.
The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.
The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - including her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024 - will remain valid.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to three years because she confessed to the infractions.
Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring communications dating back to 2022.
"This matter concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on the runner's device to determine if any other violations have occurred."
'No one is exempt from regulations'
When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an reason for the failed test.
While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.
Small amounts of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also identified in a sample collected from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.
At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.
Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had used her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.
The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".
An standard 12-month decrease was granted after the runner admitted the doping breaches inside the 20 days required.
The 36-month suspension started on 19 April - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, honors, championships, participation and prize money from March 14 lost.
"Nobody is above the rules."
"While disappointing for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the process is designed to operate."
"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding doping prevention able to revealing doping violations committed by elite athletes in their races."
