Kenyan runners fail dope tests in Beijing

Zakary and compatriot Koki Manunga have been handed provisional bans after testing positive for the use of banned substances at the world championships, the global Association of Athletics Federations said on August 26, 2015.

BEIJING (AP) – Two Kenyan runners have tested positive for doping at the world championships and have been provisionally suspended.

The pair were targeted in pre-competition tests at their team hotel on August 20 and 21.

Zakary, 29, set a new Kenyan national record in the women’s 400m heats but then conspicuously pulled out of the semi-finals despite having the eighth best qualifying time.

“The IAAF will not discuss the details of the cases as they progress through the results management process”.

African silver medallist Manunga, however, failed to make it out of her first round of the 400m hurdles on Sunday, timing 58.96sec to finish 35th out of 37 athletes competing.

The Kenyans have 13 athletes now serving doping suspensions.

“Follow-up action will be taken in Kenya”, it said.

Athletics Kenya was not immediately available for comment.

Doping allegations overshadowed the build-up to the championships, with damaging claims, fiercely denied by the IAAF, that it turned a blind eye to suspicious blood test results from hundreds of athletes.