Marathon Star Lawrence Cherono & American 400 Runner Randolph Ross Suspended by AIU, Out of Worlds
By Jonathan Gault
July 16, 2022
EUGENE, Ore. — The Athletics Integrity Unit announced two major suspensions on Saturday morning as Kenyan marathon star Lawrence Cherono and American sprinter Randolph Ross, winner of the last two NCAA 400-meter titles, have both been provisionally suspended and ruled out of Worlds. Cherono was scheduled to run the marathon on Sunday morning and Ross the 400 meters, which also begins Sunday.
Cherono, 33, has been one of the world’s best marathoners over the past five years, winning Boston and Chicago in 2019 and finishing 4th at the Olympics last year before winning Valencia in December 2021. His 2:03:04 pb ranks 8th all-time. During an out-of-competition test on May 23, Cherono tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency but according to the AIU “is approved for use in some countries to treat chest pain stemming from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart.” Even though the sample was collected in May, the AIU was not informed of the positive test until Wednesday, at which point Cherono was already en route to Eugene.
WADA standards require a positive test to be reported by the lab to the AIU within 20 days but in Cherono’s case it took 47.
“The AIU has made a formal complaint to the laboratory in relation to this unacceptable delay, which has denied the opportunity for another Kenyan athlete to take the place of Mr Cherono in the marathon,” the AIU said in a statement.
Less is known about Ross’ suspension. The AIU said it charged Ross, the third-placer at USAs this year who owns a 43.85 pb (#1 in the world last year) with tampering with the doping control process following an unsuccessful attempt to test him on June 18. What exactly Ross, 21, did to draw the tampering charge has not yet been announced (LetsRun.com reached out to the University of Tennessee, where Ross recently transferred from North Carolina A&T, as well as Ross’ coach/father Duane but had not heard back as of publication).
It should be noted that Randolph Ross’ father and coach Duane Ross, who last month was hired as the University of Tennessee’s director of track & field and cross country, was banned two years by USADA in 2010 for using performance-enhancing drugs, including anabolic agents and hormones. The sanctions were related to the BALCO steroid case; Ross testified against notorious coach Trevor Graham as part of the BALCO case in 2008. By 2010, Duane Ross had been retired by several years, but his results from November 2001 on were also nullified as part of the decision (Ross made the 2004 US Olympic team in the 110-meter hurdles).
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MB: LAWRENCE CHERONO and RANDOLPH ROSS PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED