Norah Jeruto, World Champion Steeplechase Runner Suspended of Breaking Anti-Doping Rules

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced on Friday that Norah Jeruto, a runner who was born in Kenya but competed for Kazakhstan and won the gold medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last year’s world championships, has been provisionally suspended on suspicion of breaking anti-doping rules.

Jeruto won the race for Kazakhstan.

According to an entry on the website of the AIU, which oversees doping cases in track and field, a notice of charge has been issued against Jeruto, 27, for the use of a prohibited substance or method.

The entry states that the notice of charge was issued for the use of a prohibited substance or method.

The AIU also noted that the issue involves her athlete biological passport, which is a tool for following competitors’ blood values over a prolonged period of time in order to flag indicators of probable doping in the blood.

She is not allowed to compete while the case is being decided because she was given a provisional suspension.

While competing for Kenya, Jeruto won the gold medal in the steeplechase at the African championships in 2016 and the Diamond League title in 2021. Both of these victories took place in 2016.

She changed her nationality to Kazakhstan the year before, but she was unable to compete in the Olympics in Tokyo because she had to wait for the switch to take effect. She went on to win the first ever track and field gold medal for the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan in a championship record time in Eugene, Oregon, the year before.