Kenyan athlete Shadrack Chesir has been disqualified from the Poznan Half Marathon after testing positive for a prohibited substance during in-competition anti-doping tests.
The event’s organizing committee released a statement on their website confirming that Chesir’s Sample A test results were positive and that he chose not to contest the findings by requesting a Sample B test.
By resigning from the right to a Sample B test, Chesir acknowledged the validity of the Sample A results. As a result, the Poznan Sports and Recreation Centre, the event organizer, disqualified him from the competition.
Chesir has also been banned from participating in runs organized by POSiR, including the Poznan Marathon and Poznan Half Marathon, for a period of two years.
During the race held last month, Chesir finished fourth with a time of 1:01:20. The race was won by Ethiopian athlete Haftamu Gebresilase, who completed the course in 1:00:27.
Solomon Berihu and Sikiyas Misganaw, both from Ethiopia, secured second and third place, respectively, with times of 1:01:06 and 1:01:11.
Chesir’s disqualification follows the recent provisional suspension of Rhonex Kipruto, the world record holder for the men’s 10km race, due to indications of a prohibited substance in his athlete biological passport (ABP).
Additionally, Nicholas Kosimbei, a Kenyan athlete and the 2014 World Junior 10,000m bronze medalist, received a provisional suspension after testing positive for Trimetazidine.
These recent cases highlight the ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of sports through anti-doping measures and reinforce the commitment to fair competition.
