Olympic 10,000m finalist provisionally suspended for doping
Kenya's Benard Kibet finished fifth in the men's 10,000m final at Paris 2024
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the provisional suspension of one of the world’s top distance runners, Benard Kibet of Kenya. The suspension stems from an anomaly detected in Kibet’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), a tool used to monitor athletes for indirect signs of performance-enhancing drug use.
The AIU has provisionally suspended Benard Kibet Koech (Kenya) for Use of a Prohibited Substance/Method (ABP case)
Details here: https://t.co/Y8LF9j2o9f pic.twitter.com/jEo3sTMmVI
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 11, 2025
Kibet, 25, is currently ranked sixth in the world in the men’s 10,000m and holds the world record over 10 miles (16.09 km), with a time of 44:02. He reached the finals in each of the last two major global championships, finishing fifth in the 10,000m at both the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In Budapest, Kibet placed one spot ahead of Canada’s Moh Ahmed; in Paris, he finished one place behind him.
The ABP tracks biological markers over time, flagging irregular changes that may indicate doping. If the abnormal fluctuations in Kibet’s profile are linked to performances during a championship period, his Olympic result could be retroactively disqualified.
Although Kibet has not raced since November 2024, he had already secured the world championship standard for the men’s 10,000m. His personal bests are 13:00.38 in the 5,000m and 26:43.98 in the 10,000m.
Kibet is the latest in a growing list of high-profile Kenyan athletes facing doping suspensions. The country currently has over 100 athletes serving doping-related suspensions on the AIU’s Global List of Ineligible Persons.
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