Kenya’s Kandie gets seven-year ban for doping violations

Kibiwott Kandie initially faced an eight-year ban split evenly across two violations, but received a one-year reduction.Former half-marathon world-record ‌holder Kibiwott Kandie has been banned for seven years by the ⁠Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) ⁠for two anti-doping violations, the body has said.The 30-year-old Kenyan, a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, was provisionally suspended in ⁠March 2025 for refusing to provide a sample and was later charged with an additional violation of tampering or attempted tampering with doping control.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russia set to return to FIFA competition at inaugural U-15 World Cuplist 2 of 4They fled war as child refugees, now they’re playing at World Cup 2026list 3 of 4Mbappe vs Haaland showdown: France-Norway fight for knockouts at World Cuplist 4 of 4‘Incredibly proud moment’: South Africa fans hail historic World Cup runend of list“This ⁠case serves as a reminder that no athlete is above the rules in the sport of athletics. If an athlete refuses a test, it places the integrity of the sport at risk,” AIU head Brett Clothier said in a ‌statement on Thursday“The AIU has a strong forensic capability and will thoroughly investigate such cases to ensure the truth comes out,” he added.Kandie, who initially faced an eight-year ban split evenly across the two violations, received a one-year reduction after accepting the sanctions early.His ban is backdated to March 14, 2025, the date of his provisional suspension, and ⁠will run until March 13, 2032, when he ⁠will be 36.On March 1, 2025, Kandie delayed and ultimately refused an out-of-competition test at his home in Kenya, citing an urgent payment before leaving despite being warned of ⁠the consequences.AIU analysis of his phone and financial records showed multiple calls and payments linked to a ⁠nurse, with 11 transfers identified in the 12 ⁠months prior to the test, after coordination with the Kenya" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="152807" data-entity-type="organization">Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya.Kandie’s initial explanations for refusing to provide a sample were later found to be false, while Kenyan authorities ‌confirmed that documents he submitted were fake.