Kenya’s doping problem: Norandrosterone

Kenya is holding the third spot in the sport of track and field when it comes to doping cases. Close to 280 of the Kenyans has been banned for an anti-doping rule violation.

In the Anti-Doping Database, we have registered more than 13.000 persons who has been given a sanction for violating an anti-doping rule.

Kenya is not on the top ten list of countries with the most rule violations. To be on that list, the country must have more than 350 doping cases registered in the database.

Track and field

The sport of track and field has the most doping cases among all sports. In total we have registered more than 3000 track and field athletes banned for an anti-doping rule violation.

Out of the nearly 280 sanctioned athletes from Kenya, 257 (or 92,5%) were competing in the sport of track and field. Bodybuilding comes in second place with only eight, followed by swimming with just four sanctions.

Internationally Kenya ends up on the third spot in the sport of track and field. That list is topped by Russia with more than 400 sanctioned athletes. India follows with 340 athletes sanctioned.

Norandrosterone dominates in Kenya

Even though most track and field athletes from Kenya are long-distance runners, Erythropoietin is not their substance of choice. Only 26 athletes have been sanctioned after tested positive for EPO.

It is the steroid Norandrosterone who dominates. Over 80 athletes from Kenya have tested positive for the steroid. Kenya stands for 32,5% of all the sanctions involving norandrosterone in track and field. Globally more than 700 athletes have tested positive for the steroid. Track and field is the sport with the most doping cases with 271. And Kenya is involved in 12% of all doping cases involving the steroid.

India is the country with the most doping cases involving Norandrosterone. With 130 registered cases in the Anti-Doping Database, the country is involved in nearly 18% of all doping cases involving this steroid.

Norandrosterone is not the most “popular” in athletics. In this sport Stanozolol is the steroid most athletes have been caught using. Globally 324 track and field athletes, out of more than 1200, have been sanctioned after testing positive for the Stanozolol.

We have only registered one athlete who has tested positive for Stanozolol in Kenya. It was a body builder who tested positive at the Kenya Bodybuilding Championships in 2018.

Long suspensions

Of the 278 Kenyan athletes, 102 (or 36,6%) has been given a four-year suspension. Seven has been given a five-year ban. An eight-year suspension has been given to seven athletes.

84 athletes have so far been given a two-year suspension.  35 has been given a three-year suspension.

Of the 278 athletes, 55 (19,8%) were tested out-of-competition. Ten athletes have been banned as a result of some sort of investigation.

Kenya has a high number of banned women. 37% of the sanctioned athletes are women. In the Anti-Doping Database just 21,2% are women.

About norandrosterone

Norandrosterone is an anabolic agent ingested through the body via an injection. The steroid is related to nandrolone and is often used in nutritional supplements.

Testing agencies usually look for norandrosterone to detect nandrolone usage. It is banned because it helps athletes increase their strength and muscle mass, especially when taken in large quantities.

This is considered to offer an unfair advantage over those athletes who don't use performance-enhancing drugs.

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