Kenya Asks WADA to Help Investigate Doping Claims

Kenya's national track federation is investigating claims of doping among its famed distance athletes and said Thursday it had asked the World Anti-Doping Agency and police for help.

Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat told The Associated Press that his organization was looking into allegations by a German reporter and Kenyan athlete that performance-enhancing substances were being made available to runners by people posing as doctors.

Although Kiplagat insisted Kenyan runners were "very clean," the federation was still apparently concerned enough to now investigate after earlier denying there was a problem.

"For us to get to the root cause of these claims and for transparency, we are inviting the police and World Anti-Doping Agency to assist us with investigations," Kiplagat said. The investigation did not confirm Kenyans were doping, he said.

In a written reply to questions from the AP, WADA said it was aware of the allegations and had communicated with "the relevant authorities."

The world anti-doping agency said "an inquiry has commenced and WADA will continue to monitor its progress."

WADA was already running an unrelated two-year research project in Kenya into doping behavior.

Four Kenyans were sanctioned in the first eight months of this year by the IAAF for doping offenses according to information released by the international athletics federation. That compared with one in 2010 and one last year.

Another Kenyan runner, Mathew Kisorio, a former African junior champion over 5,000 and 10,000 meters, tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Kenyan Olympic trials in June and has been suspended by Athletics Kenya.

Kisorio, who ran the fourth-fastest half-marathon time ever in 2011, subsequently said that many of his compatriots were doping.

His comments appeared to back up those of journalist Hajo Seppelt, who said he had spent time in Kenya and found evidence of widespread doping among middle and long distance runners in the country's high-altitude training areas.

Kisorio told the German television station that Seppelt reported for that Kenyan runners were being offered banned substances and that the suppliers expected part of their winnings as payment.