Olympic athlete and 10-mile world record holder Bernard Kibet Koech has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the alleged use of prohibited substances.
The 25-year-old Kenyan distance runner made headlines in December 2022 when he broke a 17-year-old world record previously held by Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie, clocking a remarkable time of 44:04 at the 39th Kumamoto Kosa 10-Mile Race.
Koech also delivered strong performances on the global stage, finishing 5th at both the 2023 World Athletics Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
His suspension comes as Kenya intensifies efforts to combat doping in athletics, with growing scrutiny ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
