Athletics Kenya suspends top agents, Kiplagat steps down

The governing body for track and field and road running in Kenya, Athletics Kenya, has suspended two of the top athlete representation agencies from working in the country for the next six months, according to a report out Monday by the Associated Press.

AK president Isaiah Kiplagat said yesterday the organization has banned two agencies, Rosa and Associati and Volare Sports, from working in Kenya for the next six months. Between the two agencies, many of the worlds very best distance runners are represented.

Volare represents world record holder in the marathon Dennis Kimetto as well as his two high-profile countrymen Wilson Kipsang and Geoffrey Mutai, among many other elite Kenyan runners. Rosa and Asociati was, until recently, the agency which represented Rita Jeptoo. Last fall Jeptoo, then the top women’s marathoner in the world, tested positive for EPO.

Though in the past AK has blamed recent doping problems on foreign agents – Rosa and Asociati and Volare Sports are based in Italy and the Netherlands, respectively – the organization made no upfront accusations against the agencies on Monday.

In the same day, Kiplagat also announced, separate from the agency suspensions, that at the end of the month he would be stepping down as president of AK after 23 years at the helm. He told media in Nairobi he was stepping aside for three months to focus on his campaign for IAAF vice-presidency, a role which will be filled after the conclusion of the August world championships.