The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed that the 28 year old Kenyan runner is accused of "evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection."
Kibiwott Kandie, the former world record holder for the half marathon, has been temporarily suspended after allegedly breaching anti doping regulations. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed that the 28 year old Kenyan runner is accused of "evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection."
Kandie, who set the world half marathon record with a time of 57:32 in Valencia in 2020, now faces an uncertain future in athletics following this suspension. The decision from the AIU adds him to a growing list of prominent Kenyan athletes facing sanctions for doping-related offenses.
This suspension is a significant setback for Kandie, who earned a silver medal at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships and triumphed in prestigious events in Prague, Istanbul and Ras al Khaimah. However, his world half marathon record has since been surpassed by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, whose time of 56:42 now stands as the benchmark.
Beyond the half marathon, Kandie has also excelled in other distances, posting a personal best of 26:50 in the 10km in 2022 and a marathon time of 2:04:48 in 2023. He also played a vital role in Kenya’s gold medal victory at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.
Kandie’s provisional suspension highlights the ongoing concerns over doping within Kenyan athletics, as the country continues to face intense scrutiny over the actions of its elite runners. Investigations into the matter are still ongoing.