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Promising 19-year-old Brenda Chebet slapped with ban for doping offense

Brenda Chebet is among the dozens of Kenyans who have made it to the list of shame after violating anti-doping rules.

Reigning world under-20 1500m champion Brenda Chebet is among the dozens of Kenyans to be banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) as per the list of sanctions for doping and non-doping violations in November 2023.

Chebet has been slapped with a three-year ban due to the presence of S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)/ methasterone and its metabolites 2a,17adimethyl-5a androstane-3a,17p-diol, 18-nor-17p-hydroxymethyl-17amethyl-2a-methyl-5a-androst-13-en-3-one (LTM).

Chebet’s period on ineligibility runs from September 3, 2023, to September 2, 2026, and as per the AIU, she has admitted to having breached the rules.

According to the AIU, Chebet’s all competitive results from the date of sample collection on July 8, 2023, are disqualified with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medal, points, and prizes.

Meanwhile, Chebet was one of the most promising youngsters who had been identified to be Faith Kipyegon’s heir.

The 19-year-old came to the limelight during the 2022 World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia where she beat defending champion Purity Chepkirui to take the 1500m title.

Chebet was also in a class of her own during the World Cross-country Championships earlier this year where she oozed class to propel the mixed relay team to victory.

She had been selected to represent the country at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in what would have been her first time competing in an individual event in the senior category but was dropped from the team.

Chepkirui, who was suffering from injury setbacks replaced her. Questions arose about why she had been dropped from the team and now it is evident that the Kenyan had landed herself in hot soup.

Silver medalist Brenda Chebet will target 1500m in Budapest

The 2022 World Under 20 silver medalist Brenda Chebet has pledged to storm the final of the 1500m race at World Athletics Championships in Budapest on her debut in the senior ranks.

Chebet, 19, was enlisted on the Kenyan continent for the premier annual global showpiece at the eleventh hour to replace Purity Chepkirui Thursday who withdrew from the team last week. 

Speaking before departing for the championships, Chebet thanked Athletics Kenya for allowing her to compete for the nation in the Hungarian capital, saying she will not disappoint.

"I feel great having graduated to the senior's stage and received an invitation to compete in the World Championships," Chebet said.

She predicted abrasive competition from a rich field of rivals including her compatriots. 

"It won't be easy because we have some very gifted runners in the race such as Faith Kipyegon and the Ethiopians, who are known to pose a great challenge. I'll do my best in the race and wait to see how things will turn out," she said.

The diminutive runner said she feels privileged to be on the same team as Kenyan track queen Kipyegon, who boasts a world record over the distance.

 "Competing against Kipyegon means a lot to me because this will be the first time we shall be competing in the same event. She is a celebrated runner and any athlete would be proud to be in the same race with her," said Chebet. 

"Let's hope I'll make it to the final and then we can see what to do next."

She heads into the race buoyed by a sterling performance in Bathurst, Australia in February, where she and teammates Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Miriam Cherop, and Kyumbe Munguti delivered a gold medal in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships.

The four wrapped up the race in 23:14 minutes ahead of bitter rivals Ethiopia's Adehera Kasaye, Hawi Abera, Getnet Wale, and Birke Haylom (23:21).

 Chebet also won the silver medal in the 1500m at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, running a personal best time of 4:04.64, behind Haylom.

In June 2022 Chebet finished fourth in her specialty at the African Championship in Saint Pierre, Mauritius. She followed that with a sixth place finish in the women's 800m final. 

Emmanuel Wanyonyi to use Kip Keino Classic to gauge readiness for Budapest

The 2021 World Under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi says he wants to use next month’s Kip Keino Classic to gauge his preparedness ahead of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Monday, the speedster said he is tirelessly toiling at an elite camp in Kapsabet to perfect his act for a podium finish at Moi Stadium, Kasarani on May 7.

The prestigious one-day meet is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series and enters the third edition with at least 1,000 athletes set to battle for a share of the prize purse and world ranking points.

“I’m currently practicing for the Kip Keino Classic in Kapsabet at the 2-Running Club training camp,” Wanyonyi stated.

“I’m currently concentrating all my energies on training for the Kip Keino Classic. I’ll be using the competition to get ready for the Budapest World Athletics Championships next year,” Wanyonyi said.

He added: “I’ve been training with my eyes set squarely on the World Championships. I’m eager to demonstrate my dominance on this grand platform.”

A podium finish in Hungary is the middle-distance track sensation’s bare minimum.

“I plan to finish on the podium. I also want to better my personal best, but I wouldn’t mind trying for the record as well. I want to be considered one of the world’s best 800m runners. This is doable if I put in enough time in training,” Wanyonyi explained.

He believes lack of senior-level experience cost him a podium finish in Oregon. Nonetheless, he reckons he gleaned some invaluable lessons that could propel him to victory in Budapest.

“It was lack of experience that cost me the victory. It was my first World Championships and I’m glad I came away with a lot of valuable lessons,” Wanyonyi, who finished fourth in 1:44.54, stated.

However, he redeemed himself at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia when he, alongside Mirriam Cherop, Daniel Munguti and Brenda Chebet, scooped the mixed relay title.

He believes their amazing performance at the competition has increased his ambition to achieve global greatness and add another medal to his cabinet.

“Our performance in Bathurst was quite encouraging heading to the World Championships. It was a huge morale booster and my confidence in repeating this performance in Budapest has skyrocketed,” he said.

Wanyonyi rose to global stardom after storming to the gold medal at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships at the Moi Stadium in Kasarani, where he set a championship record of 1:45.01.