by Larry Eder
Rita Jeptoo, photo by PhotoRun.net
The Rita Jeptoo crisis is in a quiet stage, or so it seems to many of us. On the contrary, the next step will be the testing of the B sample, which has not been announced by Athletics Kenya.
We have provided here a short update on much of what has happened since the A sample was announced. We have provided some stories (and there are many more) on the announcement that Rita Jeptoo had a positive out of competition test for a banned substance.
The story is much more than Rita Jeptoo. It is also much more than Athletics Kenya. Distance running is a matter of pride in Kenya; it is, as I have noted several times, a national resource.
Distance running in Kenya is a national resource, that has been, for some time, under attack. Many elite athletes are upset because they realize the ramifications of such a blemish: Kenyan athletic performances could be questioned everytime any young Kenyan runs and wins.
Out of competition drug testing is a key ingredient in the fight against doping in sports.
Rita Jeptoo update, Number Five
RunBlogRun broke the story on the positive A sample in an out of competition test in late September by Rita Jeptoo in the early morning hours of October 31. Within several hours, World Marathon Majors issued a statement postponing the award presentation for the 2013-2014 season. Athletics Kenya notified Rita Jeptoo that the IAAF had notified them of the positive A sample. Athletics Kenya then requested her presence in their offices. The meeting, per reports in Kenyan media, lasted over seven hours. Athletics Kenya came under increasing criticism and scrutiny over their lack of management of a proper testing program for Kenyan athletes. Questions arose, in social media, over why some Kenyan athletes are tested out of competition, with a high frequency, and some athletes are not tested at all.
Rita Jeptoo’s ex-husband claimed to Kenyan media that Jeptoo was using since 2011. Rita Jeptoo’s ex-partner also spoke to Kenyan media, claiming that he had told her to stop cheating on several occasions. A group of Federico Rosa’s athletes held a press conference and chastised Ms. Jeptoo on her behaviors. That press conference has had a mixed response in Kenya, where many are confused and not understanding how former friends no longer behave like friends in such a fast manner.
Rita Jeptoo has requested that the B sample of the out of competition test from September be tested. Athletics Kenya has not said when that test will be. In the newest development, Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon Champion and a member of the Kenyan Parliament, is considering the introduction of a bill that would criminalize doping in Kenya, with repercussions for those involved.
It should also be noted that the out-of-competition testing that was given to Rita Jeptoo is a program, managed by the IAAF and funded by World Marathon Majors.
It seems that, under pressure from the IAAF, World Marathon Majors, sponsors and agents, Athletics Kenya is beginning to take the problem of doping in Kenya in a serious manner. AK’s first reactions has been to continue to blame a foreign devil, and that devil, for Athletics Kenya, seems to be agents, managers, and the like.
Wesley Korir, a thoughtful athlete who is also a politician, understands the issue better than many. His idea to criminalize doping should be quite popular in the Kenyan Parliament. The challenge may be how Athletics Kenya supports the legislation.
Stay tuned for updates.
Doxology of Stories on Rita Jeptoo
Oct. 31 Part 1. Rita Jeptoo tests positive, by Larry Eder
–sent to 100 agents, 35 websites, and 12 media groups across Europe, Kenya and Asia.
Oct. 31, six hours later, response from WMM, result, cancelled award ceremony: http://www.runblogrun.com/2014/10/statement-by-world-marathon-majors-regarding-rita-jeptoo-with-comments-from-larry-eder.html
Nov. 1, Rita Jeptoo, Part 2: Twenty-four hours later, Rita Jeptoo, by Larry Eder
Nov. 2, Rita Jeptoo, My thoughts, by Larry Eder, Audio
Nov. 3, Rita Jeptoo, What is My Agenda, part 3, by Larry Eder,https://www.runblogrun.com/2014/11/rita-jeptoo-part-3-what-is-my-agenda-and-those-who-confirmed-story-by-larry-eder.html
Nov. 4, Rita Jeptoo, Part 4, European View, and my comments, by Larry Eder, http://www.runblogrun.com/2014/11/rita-jeptoo-update-4-from-eme-news-note-by-larry-eder.html ,
Nov. 4, Cary Pinkowski Speaks, by Larry Eder, http://www.runblogrun.com/2014/11/carey-pinkows
ki-speaks-on-wmm-by-larry-eder.html ,
ki-
Nov. 6 , Exclusive Federico Rosa Interview, by Mario Fraioli, from Competitor,
Nov. 11, From Chicago Magazine: Interview with Larry Eder
