The Athletics Integrity Unit announced road 10K world record holder and 2019 10,000m world championship bronze medalist Rhonex Kipruto has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation. Here’s what you need to know:

– The 23-year-old was charged by the Athletics Integrity Unit for the "use of a prohibited substance or method" due to inconsistencies in his biological passport between July 2018 and March 2022. He has never tested positive for a banned substance.

What they are saying

– Kipruto denies any wrongdoing and is willing to undergo a longitudinal study on his blood markers under constant supervision to prove his innocence.

– “I don’t cheat or dope! The truth is on my side. This is all I can say,” he said in a statement via his management team.

– His manager issued a lengthy statement claiming to have spent $30,000 trying to prove Kipruto's innocence and suggests that other factors like “training load, health status, hydration status, travel, significant alcohol consumption” could explain the suspicious blood values. He also noted that Kipruto was drug tested more than 50 times between July 2018 and March 2022.

– Kipruto's coach, Brother Colm O'Connell, asserts his athlete's honesty and supports the fight against doping. “I carefully choose who I work with and to whom I dedicate my energy,” he said in a statement. “I know Rhonex is an honest young man and it hurts me to see him suffering now. Our strategy is to train hard, and that's the only way we achieve results. I have said many times that I am in favor of systematically combating doping so that we can protect clean athletes like Rhonex."

Backstory

– Kipruto is one of Kenya’s top young talents since earning a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. He went on to set the 10K world record of 26:24 in Valencia on Jan. 12, 2020. He has also won major races including the NYC Half and Peachtree Road Race in 2022.

– Kipruto represented Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics and placed 9th in the 10,000m final.

– Kipruto’s last race was a fourth-place finish in 27:09 for 10K at Adidas’ Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany. He was set to compete at the World 10K Bengaluru event in India on May 21.

– Kenyan athletics has faced ongoing issues with doping as Kipruto is the latest addition to a list of 64 Kenyan athletes currently banned for doping offenses.

– Brother O’Connell previously coached 800m world record holder David Rudisha.

What happens next:

– Kipruto and his management team appear to be insistent on trying to clear his name.

– The Athletics Integrity Unite has issued a notice of the charge and will release a final decision at a later date.

– If Kipruto is found guilty, he could face a four-year ban.