Ruth Chepngetich, the women’s world record holder in the marathon, was issued a provisional suspension after testing positive for banned substance, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Thursday.
According to the AIU, hydrochlorothiazide was detected in a sample that was collected on March 14 and a further investigation confirmed in April that 3,800 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of the substance was present in a urine test. The minimum reporting level for this substance is 20 ng/mL and any reading below that mark signifies a negative test.
The test was collected five days after Chepngetich ran the Lisbon Half Marathon in 1:06:20 and finished second.
In April, she pulled out of the London Marathon, stating that she was not “in the right place mentally or physically” to put her best performance together.
Chepngetich, 30, is the current women’s record holder in the marathon and shattered the mark in 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon last October. She is the first woman to run below 2:10 and she previously won in Chicago in 2021 and 2022.
AIU head Brett Clothier said that Chepngetich was notified about the findings of the flagged test in Kenya on April 16. She was interviewed and was cooperative with the investigation.
“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code,” Clothier said in a statement. “Chepngetich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on April 19, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing.”
Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) is a diuretic that us typically used to treat fluid retention and hypertension. But its often used as a masking agent to hide the presence of other prohibited substances in urine. Hydrochlorothiazide is on WADA’s listed of substances that is restricted at all times.
Based on WADA guidelines, a sample containing hydrochlorothiazide is subject to a standard sanction of two years but can be increased — or reduced — based on specific circumstances in a particular case.
