Kenya’s was declared “non-compliant” with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s rules, putting the African nation’s athletes on notice that they may end up ineligible for the Summer Olympics coming up in Rio this year.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ruling comes after Kenya’s watchdog agency missed several deadlines to show compliance.
On Thursday, WADA compliance review committee chairman Rene Bouchard said that Kenya should be cited because the nation’s anti-doping rules do not comply with WADA codes.
“As in all cases of non-compliance, WADA will now hand the decision over to its stakeholders, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and UNESCO for their consideration and action,” the international organization said in a statement.
The ruling came down after Kenya passed a new law to govern doping that contained language not previously submitted to WADA to assure compliance.
The African nation recently legislated a new anti-doping authority into existence under the assumption it would satisfy WADA codes, but it appears that is now not the case.
Kenya has a history of trouble with doping. An incredible forty Kenyan runners have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs since 2012. 18 of them are still suspended from competition.
“Kenya is a country that continues to perform at a very high level without a seemingly competent [anti-doping] national program,” said Joseph de Pencier, the CEO of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Agencies. “A consequence of noncompliance has to mean you can’t compete internationally. That’s what will get action.”
Kenya isn’t the only nation WADA is looking to sanction for violating doping rules.
Only days ago the agency again cited Russia for thumbing its nose at rules meant to stop cheating. WADA announced a new probe into allegations that Russia ignored doping by its athletes during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The new probe was sparked by a report by 60 Minutes that alleged Russian athletes doped in 2014.
Russia has been a target of WADA focus several times in the past.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
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