IAAF president Sebastian Coe confirmed on Monday reports in German media which said the governing body’s integrity unity had received claims of doping against Kenyan athletes ahead of the World Championships.
Television channel ZDF alleged at least two athletes had taken performance enhancing erythropoietin (EPO), which boosts the capacity of blood to carry oxygen, before the meeting begins on September 27 in Doha.
“I know the AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) is following up on some accusations that have been made in the German media. I’m sure they (AIU) will report back as soon as they’ve established the facts to the IAAF,” Coe said.
Earlier in the day the IAAF maintained a ban on the Russian athletics federation pending analysis of data provided by Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory in January.
ZDF published secret film footage of a man and a woman in the process of receiving EPO via an injection.
An anonymous doctor admitted to treating eight runners in the documentary, adding that “no-one dopes directly before competitions, here they’re using EPO while training.”
Athletics Kenya (AK) chiefs reacted saying all athletes were duly informed about the rules and warned any individual would be banned for life from the national team for doping.
According to ZDF there are cases of corruption between AK and the country’s Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).
A former ADAK employee said “they hide results from certain athletes, so that the runners can’t get suspended.”
“AK and ADAK work hand in hand and win money with it. Athletes or their manages must pay for that,” they added.
The German television channel claims to have documents which prove collaboration between the two bodies.
Brett Clothier, the head of the AIU, responded by saying: “These are serious accusations and we’re not so naive to say that these problems or corruption don’t exist in Kenya.”
