Rosa: Decision to suspend trio is to facilitate investigations

What you need to know:

  • The elite marathon stars recently suspended by Rosa Associati will be free to rejoin the Italian management stable once investigations into alleged doping cases are completed.
  • The management stable’s director Federico Rosa yesterday also clarified that none of the athlete are being investigated for doping, but they are merely helping in offering information that would help clear the air on the mystery surrounding Olympic champion Jemima Sumgong’s doping ban.

The elite marathon stars recently suspended by Rosa Associati will be free to rejoin the Italian management stable once investigations into alleged doping cases are completed.

The management stable’s director Federico Rosa on Sunday also clarified that none of the athlete are being investigated for doping, but they are merely helping in offering information that would help clear the air on the mystery surrounding Olympic champion Jemima Sumgong’s doping ban.

Sumgong, who won the gold medal at last year’s Olympic Games in Brazil, is awaiting results of her “B” sample before further action can be taken after she was found to have failed an out-of-competition test for allegedly using banned blood booster EPO (Erythropoeitin).

COMPETE CLEAN

“Absolutely,” was the response Federico had on Sunday after Nation Sport asked him if suspended Paris Marathon champion Purity Rionoripo, Tokyo Marathon Sarah Chepchirchir and former Paris winner Visiline Jepkesho would be admitted back by his management.

“Let me be clear that they athletes have no committed any doping offence but have been told to stay aside and help in offering any information they might have on Jemima’s case because they are her training partners,” Rosa said.

He added that he had not asked the Kenyan government or the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) to investigate any athlete.

“How can I ask the government or Adak to investigate? I don’t know anyone at Adak,” he said on telephone on Sunday.

Federico said Rosa Associati will stop at nothing in ensuring their athletes compete clean and will be happy to co-operate with any investigations into substance abuse in Kenya.