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A day after his death, Kipyegon Bett's tragic struggle with drug abuse and depression reveals the darker side of athletics.
On Monday, Kenya woke up to tragic news as former world under-20 athletics champion Kipyegon Bett passed away at just 26 years old in Bomet County following a short illness.
Bett, a former 800m specialist, rose to stardom with a remarkable victory in the 2016 World Under-20 Championships and followed it up with a bronze medal at the 2017 senior World Championships in London.
However, Bett's once-promising career took a dark and irreversible turn in 2018 when he was handed a four-year doping ban after refusing to submit a sample and testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance.
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05:53 - 07.10.2024
Kipyegon Bett: Former World U20 champion dies after short illness
Kenya’s athletics fraternity is in mourning following the death of former World U20 champion Kipyegon Bett.
His suspension at the age of 20 marked the beginning of a downward spiral that eventually led to substance abuse and depression.
"When Kipyegon was banned, he started drinking a lot, wouldn’t eat well, and suffered depression," recalled his sister, Purity Kirui, tearfully from their home in Bomet as per BBC Sport.
"We tried to help him stop drinking, but whenever we wanted to take him to rehab, he would disappear from home for days."
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The doping ban had a devastating effect on Bett robbing him of his identity as an elite athlete.
While his ineligibility period ended in August 2022 the athlete struggled to make a comeback.The pressures of his suspension compounded his mental health issues.
"I tried to get him back into athletics when his ban ended by getting him running kit and shoes," Kirui explained.
"Before his death, we had a plan to try one more time to take him to a rehabilitation center in Kisumu."
Despite attempts by family and friends to steer him away from alcohol and guide him back to the track, Bett's battles with addiction and mental illness persisted.
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His isolation from the sport that had once brought him fame and respect only deepened his sense of despair.
"He was a gifted athlete who even beat (800m) world record holder David Rudisha in a race. That showed he had high potential," said Japheth Kemei, Bett’s coach.
"I expected him to come back to athletics once his ban was over, but he couldn’t do so due to many challenges. I think sometimes once an athlete is banned there’s some depression and getting into activities that cannot support an athletics career."
Bett's struggles shine a light on the complex relationship between mental health and sports, particularly for athletes who face career-threatening setbacks such as doping bans.
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19:27 - 04.10.2024
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Kenya's Integrated Athlete Management System aims to combat doping through nationwide registration, strengthening athlete oversight and anti-doping measures.
Without proper support, Bett's life unraveled and his downfall highlights a broader problem in Kenyan athletics.
Kenya has made significant efforts to combat doping, particularly after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but the country's anti-doping measures have faced challenges.
Over 70 athletes have been sanctioned for anti-doping violations in the past three years, and the reduction of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya's (ADAK) budget from Ksh 288 million to Ksh 20 million has raised concerns about the future of clean sport in the nation.
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