Five-year ban for Kenya's Agnes Barsosio

Just a month after being provisionally suspended, 2019 Hangzhou Marathon champion Agnes Barsosio has been banned for five years after an Adverse Passport Finding.

She was to receive a six-year ban and disqualification of her results on and since 9 May 2022 but had one-year reduction for her admission of guilt.

Barsosio’s ABP samples were analysed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory. The Passport generated an Atypical Passport Finding which was submitted for a two-step review on an anonymous basis, first by a single Expert and then for a further review by three Experts.

Following the review of the Passport, the Expert Panel identified abnormalities in the blood samples as features of blood manipulation in preparation for competition, in particular, variations in blood samples collected in May 2022; shortly following the Athlete’s participation in a marathon in Nairobi, Kenya, August 2022, and late October and early November 2022; within two weeks of a planned marathon competition.

The Expert Panel confirmed their unanimous opinion of “Likely Doping” in the Athlete’s case in a Joint Expert Panel Opinion dated 23 April 2023.On 25 May 2023, the Athlete provided an explanation for the Adverse Passport Finding.

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She sought to explain the abnormalities in the Passport by altitude changes (within Kenya), irregular menstruation, irregular training and irregular diet (specifically in relation to iron-rich foods).

The Athlete’s explanation was, however, rejected those explanations and reasserted its unanimous opinion of “Likely doping” that it had set out in the First Joint Opinion. Barsosio was given the opportunity to request a hearing before the Disciplinary Tribunal by no later than 24 August.

On 20 August, she returned a signed Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form confirming that she admitted the Anti-Doping Rule Violation and accepted the asserted period of Ineligibility, waiving any further rights she had to contest, challenge, or dispute the Anti-Doping Rule Violation and/or the applicable Consequences.