Kenya's First Women's Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Jemima Sumgong Receives Four-Year Doping Ban

By Adam Kopet

Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated reports that Kenya's Jemima Sumgong has received a four-year ban after testing positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test.

Sumgong was the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon. She has finished as runner-up in the Boston, Chicago and New York City marathons.

Two weeks before this year's London Marathon, Sumgong was provisionally suspended for a positive doping test for EPO. This week, she has officially been given a four-year ban dating to April of this year when she was first suspended.

Sumgong attempted to blame her positive test on treatment for an ectopic pregnancy. However, her story was inconsistent and was unable to be corroborated. She eventually came clean and waived her right for her 'B' sample to be tested.

Sumgong was a former training partner of now banned Rita Jeptoo, who tested positive for EPO in 2014.