Porto marathon title disqualified due to doping

Approval of Kenyan James Mwangi’s 2:08.47 hour victory in the 2022 Porto Marathon has been “suspended”, the CEO of Runporto, the organization organizing the event, told Luse this Thursday.

According to the official Athletics Integrity Unit (UIA) website online, the 29-year-old athlete was charged on December 21, 2022, with the use of norandrosterone, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) list of substances prohibited. AMA).

“He tested positive. [num controlo antidoping]but still converted to this day [quinta-feira], a year later, we know nothing more. That’s why, [o título] still waiting,” said Jorge Teixeira, speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of the 19th edition of the traditionally most popular Portuguese marathon that took place today. [quinta-feira] in the Arabic Hall of the Palacio da Bolsa in Porto.

James Mwangi was flagged by the UIA for a second time after already being accused of using or having testosterone, and was ultimately suspended between March 2017 and March 2021, with no review of his results during that entire period.

The Kenyan was 11 seconds off the mark set by compatriot Zablon Chumba in 2021 to update the Porto marathon record, ahead of Ethiopians Abraraw Misganau Tegegne (2:10.29), Haymanot Alyu (2:11.10) and Dadi Yami Gemed ( 2:11,27). .

“[O prémio] It will only be paid after the final decision of World Athetics. It’s a shame that this is happening a year later, but the money is available. We have already paid everyone except this bonus. Naturally, we will have to adjust the classifications and everyone will have to move up one place, but at the moment we do not have any information yet,” said the director of Runporto, an organization that awards 5,000 euros for victories in the men’s and women’s general classification with the update of the absolute record and receiving 3000 euros.

Jorge Teixeira also reported that Vanessa Carvalho inherited the women’s triumph after the disqualification of Kenyan Alice Jepkemboi Kimuthai, who accused her of using testosterone in September 2022, almost two months before her visit to Portugal.

“The real winner was Vanessa Carvalho. We paid tribute in her homeland, Famalicana, during the presentation of the local half marathon. Alice Kimutai was punished. This only shows that the Porto Marathon weighs in and wants the sporting truth. She was tested here and was clean, but two months before the date she had already tested positive. World Athetics informed us that we should disqualify her,” he said.

Alice Jepkemboi Kimutai needed 2:29.58 hours to complete the 42.195-kilometre route between Porto and Matosinhos, followed by Vanessa Carvalho (2:35.24), Kenya’s Lydia Nyeri Matati (2:36.38) and Lithuanian Lina Kirilyuk (2:40.53). .

Given the African runner’s ban of three years from November 16, 2022, the Sporting de Braga athlete became the first Portuguese woman to dominate the women’s portion of the Porto Marathon since 2007, replacing Ethiopia’s Kidsan Alema.