NAIROBI, Kenya, February 5, 2026 — In a ruling that has sent ripples through the athletics world, the Athletics Integrity Unit has handed Bernard Kibet Koech a four-year suspension after finding the Paris Olympian guilty of using a prohibited substance. The decision strips Koech of results and earnings dating back to June 2024 and casts a long shadow over a promising career.
The Case Against Koech
The AIU’s disciplinary panel concluded that erythropoietin (EPO) was present in Koech’s system and rejected the athlete’s explanation that the abnormal blood values were the result of a string of benign factors. Koech had argued that a recent bout of Covid-19, a return to high-altitude training in Eldoret and prescribed oral iron supplements combined to produce elevated haemoglobin readings. The panel was unconvinced.
The agency bluntly stated that the athlete failed to meet the burden of proving his anti-doping rule violation was unintentional, adding that any form of blood manipulation is treated as inherently deliberate unless convincingly disproved.
Why the Defence Failed
Koech leaned on expert testimony and a narrative of natural causes, but the panel found critical holes. He did not provide proof of a positive Covid-19 test, despite PCR testing being widely available — including free tests at the nearby Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital — during the relevant period. The panel noted the athlete had a clear opportunity to confirm the illness but did not do so.
Experts on the panel also dismissed the idea that oral iron supplements could rapidly spike haemoglobin in an athlete with normal iron stores. The panel explained that oral iron is not known to suppress reticulocyte production nor to cause the sudden haemoglobin surge seen in Koech’s results.
Career Consequences
The 26-year-old, who finished fifth in the men’s 10,000m at the Paris Olympics with a time of 26:43.98, will now serve a four-year ban backdated to June 10, 2024. He must forfeit all titles, medals, prize money, points and appearance fees earned from that date.
What This Means for the Sport
The ruling underscores the AIU’s strict stance on blood manipulation and the high evidentiary bar athletes must meet when claiming natural or medical explanations for abnormal test results. For Koech, a rising star whose Olympic performance hinted at greater things, the suspension is a dramatic and costly setback. For the sport, it is a reminder that in elite athletics, explanations must be airtight — and that the consequences for falling short are severe.
