Tokyo 2021: Cheruiyot back in Team Kenya after Kamar Etyang fails doping clearance

Anxiety pumps up as Kamar Etyang awaits Olympics fate

Kenya’s budding 1,500m athlete Kamar Etyang, 19, will wait a little for his chance to be part of Team Kenya after a verdict on his fate to Don Kenyan colours at this Summer’s most important sporting event – the Olympics.

Dafa News understands that reigning World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot has been included in the team for Tokyo Olympics after Etyang failed to get clearance to compete at the Games.

Uncertainty and anxiety was rife as Etyang awaited his fate which was in the hands of World Anti-doping Agency and the Athletics Integrity Unit.

Cheruiyot, arguably the best runner over the 1,500m distance since 2017, has now been accredited for the Games.

According to the rules, Kenyan athletes are required to have undergone three mandatory anti-doping tests as required by AIU and World Athletics, ahead of the national trials. But that never happened for the case of Etyang.

In February, he had been selected to the Kenyan Under-20 8km race at the postponed African Cross Country Championships in Togo.

On 24th April, he finished second at the Mandela National Stadium, Kampala in a time of 3:36.80 in the 1,500m.

Etyang came second at the national Olympics trials on 19th June, sealing his place in Team Kenya to Tokyo.

He beat big shots, including reigning Cheruiyot, George Manangoi, Ronald Kwemoi and Bethwell Birgen among others to post his 1,500m personal best of 3:33:12. He is ranked 12th in the world.

Etyang has been at the Kasarani camp, pending a determination by WADA and AIU, and with the verdict it means he will be released.

PHOTO/COURTESY