Legal restrictions on punishing dopers leave Coe frustrated

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Athletics - World Athletics Championships - Opening press conference - Japan National Stadium, Shinjuku, Japan - September 12, 2025 World Athletics President Sebastian Coe during the opening press conference REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

LONDON, Dec 16 - World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said he was as frustrated as anyone at the farcical situation surrounding the legal world record belonging to banned Kenyan Ruth Chepngetichs marathon but added that the governing bodys hands are tied.

Chepngetichs astonishing two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds run in Chicago in October 2024 remains the legal ‍world record ​even though she was handed a three-year anti-doping ban this year, with her results expunged only from ‍March.

Her excuse that she took her housemaids medicine was dismissed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU),which says it is continuing to investigate Chepngetich for other potential violations.

I share your frustration, but ​Im not a ​lawyer, Coe told journalists in a conference call to review the year in athletics.

There are some legal challenges that the burden of proof can only be a positive test and evidence that doping infringement was taking place at the time of the performance and if you dont have that its extremely difficult to ‍extrapolate around other events.

The AIU does everything that it possibly can, but it does also have to work within legal strictures - however frustrating that is.

Chepngetich was one ​of a series of high-profile dopers to be caught this year, with ⁠elite American sprinters Marvin Bracy, Erriyon Knighton