Kibiwott Kandie suspended for violating anti-doping rules

The 28-year-old, who is the latest high-profile Kenyan athlete to be implicated in anti-doping violations, was charged for “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection,” according to AIU.

Kandie set a world half-marathon record of 57:32 in Valencia in 2020 but now faces doping allegations just over five years later.

He also won silver at the 2020 World Half-Marathon Championships and claimed victories in Prague, Istanbul, and Ras al Khaimah.

His former record has since been broken, with Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo lowering it to 56:42 at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February this year, becoming the first athlete to break the 57-minute barrier.

In January, Kandie, a sergeant, reclaimed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Cross Country Championships 10KM title to start the year on flying start.

Kandie was also part of the Kenya team that took gold in the senior men’s race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in 2023.