The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepng’etich, for the Presence and Use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) relating to a sample collected from her on 14 March this year.
A Notice of Charge has been issued against Chepng’etich regarding the detection of the Prohibited Substance – a diuretic – following an investigation into the Kenyan athlete’s positive test which was reported to the AIU on 3 April this year, at an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine.
Presenting a brief chronology of this case, AIU Head Brett Clothier revealed Chepng’etich was “notified and interviewed in person by the AIU in Kenya on 16 April and complied with requests regarding our investigation”.
“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. Chepng’etich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing,” explained Clothier.
“In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.”
Reminding of the process ahead, Clothier noted Chepng’etich has the right for her case to be heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal and that the AIU will not comment further until this matter has been concluded.
HCTZ is a diuretic, used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. Under the WADA Code, it is a class S5 Prohibited Substance (Diuretics and Masking Agents), prohibited at all times and a Specified Substance.
Diuretics may be abused to mask the presence in urine of other Prohibited Substances1 . Under WADA’s technical requirements for laboratories, HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, meaning findings below this concentration are reported as negative.
A Specified Substance has a standard sanction of two (2) years’ ineligibility (subject to possible
reduction or increase in accordance with WADA Code provisions).
