Nairobi — The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has confirmed the ban of Kenyan marathoner Mark Kangogo for three years, after being initially provisionally suspended for a positive drugs test.

Kangogo will serve a three-year suspension after his sample returned a positive test for Norandrosterone and Triamcinolone Acetonide.

He was initially set to serve a four-year ban, but after admitting to the charge, the sentence was reduced by a year.

According to the AIU, the World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Lausanne reported an Adverse Analytical Finding in Kangogo's urine sample, taken In-Competition at the 'Sierre-Zinal WMRA World Cup race' held in Switzerland.

He was notified of his positive test on September 9, and was asked for a response. Kangogo then wrote to the AIU with the list of supplements and medications that he said he had used to treat an ankle injury prior to the doping control.

However, none of them listed Norandrosterone or Triamcinolone Acetonide in their ingredients.

He was interviewed by the AIU on September 10, and on the same day, he made an admission of the Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

As a first time offender and also due to his admission, his ban has been reduced by one year and will now serve three years in the cold, starting from September 9.

Consequently, Kangogo's results from including 13 August 2022 have been nullified and he is set to forfeit any titles, awards, medals, points prizes and appearance money he accrued during that period.

He becomes the second Kenyan athlete to be suspended in less than a week after compatriot Philemon Kacheran was also handed the same sentence after admitting to an ADRV.