Fast-rising road racing athlete Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich has been provisionally suspended for the presence and use of a prohibited substance, Norandrosterone.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) published a Notice of Allegation on Tuesday, January 7, confirming the suspension, which was initially issued on Monday, December 23. The 23-year-old becomes the first Kenyan athlete to feature on the 2025 doping violations list.
While the AIU has provided few details on the matter, regulations allow the athlete a timeline to explain the adverse analytical finding.
Following notification of the results, Chepchirchir has the right to request a B Sample analysis, obtain copies of laboratory documentation supporting the findings, and admit to the anti-doping rule violations.
19-norandrosterone, the substance found in her sample, may naturally occur in human urine, and an experiment conducted on athletes showed that after prolonged intense physical effort, the concentration of 19-norandrosterone can increase by a factor of 2 to 4. However, another study failed to replicate these results.
Concentration levels of the substance also tend to increase in the urine of female athletes during menstruation.
Additionally, the consumption of certain animal products, such as non-castrated pig offal (including boar meat, liver, kidneys, and heart), has been shown to lead to the excretion of 19-norandrosterone within hours. As such, athletes are advised to avoid consuming these foods in the hours preceding doping tests.
