Michael Kibet (born 3 September 1999) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. He won the 5000 m at the Kenyan Trials for the

2019 World Athletics Championships The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athletics. It was held betw ...

, but was barred from competing at the meet by the

Athletics Integrity Unit The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) was founded by the International Association of Athletics Federations in April 2017 to combat doping in the sport of athletics. The unit functions fully independently from the IAAF. It is currently led by head B ...

for not having had enough drug tests. In 2023, it was announced that Kibet was banned for four years from all high-level competitions due to a positive test from 20 September 2022.

Biography

Kibet began running at a young age, training in Iten, Kenya while representing the Kenyan Police Service. He made his international debut in April 2019, winning the GP Brasil Caixa de Atletismo 1500 m in a time of 3:38.85. On 13 September 2019, Kibet won the Kenyan World Championship Trials (separate from the earlier

Kenyan Athletics Championships The Kenyan Athletics Championships is an annual track and field meeting which serves as Kenya's national championships for the sport. Athletics Kenya, the country's governing body for athletics organises the event. The championships is usually hel ...

, in which he finished 3rd) in a time of 13:26.83 for 5000 m. The surprising win led Kibet to be hailed as Kenya's best hope for global gold in the 5000 metres at the World Athletics Championships, which had not been won by a Kenyan since 2005. However, those hopes were quickly dashed when on 25 September, both Kibet and Trials runner-up

Daniel Simiyu Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (born 18 September 1995) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner, middle-distance and long-distance runner. Early life Brought up in Baragoi, Samburu County, having lost his father early in life to cattle rustling, he was raised ...

were barred from competing at the

due to not having had enough drug tests performed before the competition. The

required at least three out-of-competition and one in-competition drug test per athlete, and because Kibet had only started competing internationally in 2019, he did not meet the requisite amount. Despite this setback, Kibet continued to compete at a high level through 2022, winning the Kenyan pre-trials for the 2021 Summer Olympics. At the actual Kenyan Olympic Trials, Kibet ran the 4th fastest time in the heats but did not run in the 5000 m finals held on the same day.

Doping

On 20 September 2022, a urine sample was collected from Kibet which later tested positive for an unspecified substance under the category of "

Peptide hormone Peptide hormones or protein hormones are hormones whose molecules are peptide, or proteins, respectively. The latter have longer amino acid chain lengths than the former. These hormones have an effect on the endocrine system of animals, including h ...

growth factors A growth factor is a naturally occurring substance capable of stimulating cell proliferation, wound healing, and occasionally cellular differentiation. Usually it is a secreted protein or a steroid hormone. Growth factors are important for reg ...

, related substances and mimetics/ erythropoietin (EPO)". Kibet was contacted about the test later in 2022, but according to the

Athletics Kenya Athletics Kenya (AK) is the governing body for the sport of athletics (track and field) in Kenya. It is a member of World Athletics and Confederation of African Athletics. AK organises athletics competitions held in Kenya. It also sends Kenyan tea ...

antidoping unit, he did not respond to repeated requests and did not contest the charges or represent himself in the matter. Because of this, Kibet was given the standard sentence of a four-year competition ban, from 30 June 2023 to 2027.

Statistics

Personal bests

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kibet, Michael Living people 1999 births Kenyan male middle-distance runners Kenyan male long-distance runners Kenyan sportspeople in doping cases Sportspeople from Rift Valley Province People from Elgeyo-Marakwet County