Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich: Who is the athlete banned by AIU for Norandrosterone use?

Kenya's Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich who has been handed a three-year doping ban.

Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich: Who is the athlete banned by AIU for Norandrosterone use?

Festus Chuma 13:58 - 15.01.2025

On Tuesday, Kenyan athlete Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich's three-year doping ban raised questions about her rise and sudden fall.

Kenyan athlete Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich was recently handed a three-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for the banned substance norandrosterone. 

The 23-year-old's name has now become closely associated with this anti-doping violation, but who is Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich, and what led to her rise and fall in athletics?

Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich emerged as a rising star in long-distance running, with several notable victories under her belt. 

She etched her name on the international scene by winning the Lisbon Hyundai Half Marathon in October 2024, clocking an impressive 1:10:33. 

This victory was one of two major triumphs that year, as she had earlier won the women’s 10 miles at the Tilburg Ten Miles in the Netherlands with a time of 52:10. These achievements underscored her potential and solidified her status as a competitive athlete.

Born and raised in Kenya, a country renowned for producing world-class runners, Kiprotich's journey to prominence was marked by discipline and dedication. 

She competed in various local and international races, steadily building her reputation. In November 2023, she finished fifth at the Lille 5km race in France, timing 31:04. 

Earlier that year, she placed 14th in the women’s 8km at the Great Chepsaita Cross Country, clocking 27:51. These performances demonstrated her versatility and consistency across different race formats.

However, Kiprotich’s promising career took a sudden and controversial turn. 

The AIU revealed that she tested positive for norandrosterone, an anabolic steroid banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for over three decades. Known for enhancing muscle strength and endurance, the substance has been at the center of numerous doping scandals in sports.

Initially, Kiprotich denied doping but later admitted her mistake, a decision that resulted in a reduced ban from the mandatory four years to three. 

According to the AIU, she accepted the findings and submitted a signed admission of anti-doping rule violations, along with an acceptance of the consequences. The AIU statement highlighted her cooperation:

“On 8 January 2025, the athlete wrote to the AIU stating that she accepted that the prohibited substance was found in her Samples, but that she could not remember how the substance entered her body. On 11 January 2025, the AIU received an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form signed by the Athlete (dated 9 January 2025).”

Faith Chepchirchir Kiprotich’s fall from grace reflects a broader concern about doping in athletics, particularly in Kenya. 

Her case is the latest in a string of anti-doping violations involving Kenyan athletes, including the suspension of Elijah Kipkosgei in December 2024 for testing positive for triamcinolone acetonide.

For Kiprotich, the ban marks a devastating blow to her career. At just 23 years old, she had shown immense potential in long-distance running, but the shadow of doping now threatens to eclipse her achievements. 

The news of her suspension has not only shocked her fans but also reignited conversations about the integrity of athletics in Kenya and the measures needed to combat doping.