Positive doping tests overshadow Kenyan double in Beijing

Beijing, August 26

A  sparkling Kenyan double at the world championships in Beijing on  Wednesday was overshadowed by news that two Kenyans had failed  pre-competition drugs tests.

To gasps and then rapturous applause in  the Bird’s Nest stadium, Julius Yego produced the longest throw in 14  years to win the men’s javelin, while Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi pipped hot  Tunisian favourite Habiba Ghribi for the women’s 3000m steeplechase  title. But their sterling efforts in hot, humid conditions were tempered  by confirmation that Koki Manunga and Joyce Zakary had “accepted  provisional suspensions following positive samples” in testing at the athletes’ hotel before their competition started as part of “targeted  tests”, according to the IAAF.

Zakary clocked a national record of  50.71 seconds in Monday’s first round of the women’s 400m, but did not  start the semi-final on Tuesday for which she had qualified. African  silver medallist Manunga failed to make it out of her first round of the  400m hurdles on Sunday. “It’s a shame for them,” said Kenyan teammate  Yego, whose monster third-round effort of 92.72 metres was the longest  since Czech world record holder Jan Zelezny threw 92.80 in 2001. “In  sport you win clean so it’s a shame for them. I can’t make any more  comment on that.”

Athletics Kenya, the nation’s governing body, later  said it had “already met with the IAAF and the athletes involved, and  has begun investigating the situation which led to these results and  appropriate follow-up action will be taken in Kenya”. Kenya was rocked  this year when marathon star Rita Jeptoo was banned for two years after  being caught doping with the banned blood-boosting hormone EPO. And  leaked results cited by German broadcaster ARD and the Sunday Times  earlier this month claimed that more than 800 athletes, including 18  Kenyans, had “suspicious blood test results” between 2001 and 2012.

Despite  the positive tests in the Chinese capital, Yego was understandably  delighted to have rocked the overwhelming European hegemony in the  throwing event. “Being the world champion, being from Kenya, it’s  unbelievable for me,” he beamed. “It’s really good for Kenya, too. I  knew I could win a medal but to be world champion is not easy. “Kenya  had planned to do well in this world championships and it’s really  working.”

Back on the track, there was a third African medal as South  African Wayde van Niekerk scorched to a remarkable victory in a loaded  men’s 400m. Van Niekerk became South Africa’s first world sprint  champion as he stormed around the one-lap race in 43.48sec, becoming the  fourth fastest athlete in the event and the quickest non-American.  Defending champion Lawshawn Merritt, who also won the world title in  Berlin in 2009, timed a personal best of 43.65sec for silver, while  Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James claimed bronze in a season’s  best of 43.78sec.

Sprint king Usain Bolt and American rival Justin  Gatlin cruised into Thursday’s 200m final. Gatlin, a two-time doping  offender looking to avenge his defeat by Bolt in the weekend’s 100m,  clocked the fastest time of the semi-finals in 19.87sec, with Bolt  second fastest in 19.95.

Gatlin agreed that he was looking forward to again racing Bolt.  “There are two competitors that like to  compete. You’ve got to have that rivalry,” said the American. The two  other medal events of the day were claimed by Cuba’s Yarisley Silva in  the women’s pole vault and Czech Zuzana Hejnova in the 400m hurdles.