NAIROBI, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's World 800m bronze medalist Kipyegon Bett is facing a four-year ban from athletics after testing positive for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO).
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had placed Bett under suspension pending the outcome of his case.
Bett had missed a doping test, but Athletics Kenya executive member Barnabas Korir confirmed to Xinhua that a sample of Bett's had tested positive for EPO.
"We have received information from the AIU that Bett's test has turned positive. This is after we had entered a defense to his case of failing to submit to sample collection," said Korir on Saturday in Nairobi.
The 20-year old was placed under suspension by the AIU on August 15 for failing to submit a sample.
"The AIU has issued a Notice of Charge against Kipyegon Bett for refusing or failing to submit to sample collection, as per Article 2.3 of the anti-doping rules. The Kenyan middle-distance runner is provisionally suspended from all competition," the AIU had said in a statement.
But that has since changed, with Korir noting that they will submit a second test to see if it confirms the results.
"As always, we treat this issue with due diligence. We will take due process, accorded to every athlete as per the rules set by the AIU. If the second test confirms the first one, then the athlete will have to face the consequences," he said.
If his positive test is confirmed, Bett will join a growing list of Kenyan athletes to have flouted anti-doping rules. In the last two months, over five Kenya-born runners have been banned over doping offences.
They include Milan Marathon champion Lucy Wambui Kabuu, who tested positive for morphine, Athens Marathon winner Samuel Kalalei, Boniface Mweresa, Asbel Kiprop and Bahrain's world 3,000m steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet.
The IAAF has ruled that athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Belarus and Ukraine will be tested three times in the 10 months prior to the World Championships and Olympic Games, with these nations considered to be most at risk of doping.
