Remorseful Manang'oi vows to bounce back
Kenya’s Elijah Motonei Manangoi wins the athletics men's 1500m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018.
What you need to know:
- The remorseful Manang'oi said it will be difficult to forgive himself for the ban as he implored fellow athletes to take care of their own whereabouts to avoid unnecessary sanctions
- Manang'oi apologised to Kenyans, his coach Ben Ouma and fellow athletes upon his suspension
- Manang'oi joins some of Kenya’s key middle distance runners in the cold over anti-doping rules violations
“It was my mistake.”
That was the 2017 world 1,500m champion, Elijah Manang'oi’s reaction after he was handed a two-year ban for anti-doping rules violation on Friday.
The remorseful Manang'oi said it will be difficult to forgive himself for the ban as he implored fellow athletes to take care of their own whereabouts to avoid unnecessary sanctions.
“I have received the verdict from AIU and as I sit here, I have acknowledged that I made a mistake on my Whereabouts failures and I have accepted their decisions,” said Manang'oi, the reigning Commonwealth Games 1,500m champion.
Team Cheruiyot: From left to right: Timothy Sein, Vincent Keter, Edwin Melli, Elijah Manang'oi and Timothy Cheruiyot take off to the start the Impossible Games 2,000 metres race at the Nyayo National Stadium on June 11, 2020.
Once again Manang'oi apologised to Kenyans, his coach Ben Ouma and fellow athletes upon his suspension.
“I’m sorry for disappointing my country, Athletics Kenya, my management, my coach and all whom I have betrayed their trust,” Manang'oi said. “I would like to urge my fellow athletes both in Kenya and abroad to seriously take care of their own whereabouts to avoid unnecessary sanctions.”
Manang'oi said a simple but a slight mistake can be costly at the end. “It’s shameful but I must say I’m a clean athlete and I will be back on track and win right,” said Manang'oi.
Commonwealth 1,500 metres champion Elijah Manang'oi (left) and world 1,500 metres champion Timothy Cheruiyot celebrate after running in the Impossible Games 2,000 metres race at the Nyayo National Stadium on June 11, 2020.
Manang'oi joins some of Kenya’s key middle distance runners in the cold over anti-doping rules violations.
Among them are the three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop and 2017 world 800m bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett, who are serving a four-year ban each for having tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO).
The 2014 world under-20 800m champion Alfred Kipketer still has a pending whereabouts failure case with Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
Bett, the 2016 world under-20 800m champion, was banned in November 2018 while Kiprop was banned in April 2019 after being flagged off in May 2018.
Manang'oi had three missed tests in the 12-month period beginning July 3, 2019 followed by November 12 and December 22 of the same year.
