Doping: Kenyan marathon star gets two-year ban

Kenya's Milano Marathon champion Lucy Kabuu has been banned for two years after testing positive to banned performance enhancing substances.

The IAAF Athletes Integrity Unit indicated that the ban takes effect from August 1, 2018, meaning the athlete will be eligible to compete after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It should be a reprieve for Kabuu, who has avoided the maximum of four years ban.

Kabuu was suspended after her samples tested positive for narcotic morphine, during the Milano City Marathon on April 8, 2018.

It was her major victory upon return from injury, coming two months after having just finished sixth at Hong Kong Marathon in 2:31:21.

Kabuu, who won 10,000m gold and 5,000m bronze at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, has the 12th fastest time in women's marathon history of 2:19.34 from 2012 Dubai.

Last year, Kabuu became the third high profile Kenyan to test positive to banned substances within two months after three times World 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop and African Games 400m silver medallist Boniface Mweresa.

Another Kenyan, the 2017 World 800m bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett would also test positive to the banned blood boosting Erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test conducted on July 31 last year.

Bett has already been handed a four-year ban and will be eligible to compete again in August 2022.

Bett, 20, refused to allow a urine sample to be taken in February and then in July, when a sample was taken, he tested positive for the prohibited EPO.

Kiprop and Mweresa’s cases are still pending but the verdicts are due before the end of this month.