Doping: Kenya get WADA final deadline

Kenya could face a ban from international athletics if it does not meet a final deadline of May 2 to bring its programme in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code.

WADA’s compliance review committee met on Tuesday and decided Kenya’s anti-doping programme was still not up to standard – the second deadline the country has missed this year.

In a statement released on Thursday, WADA confirmed that unless Kenya passes doping legislation and formally adopts regulations for its new national anti-doping body by next month, the committee will ask WADA’s board to declare it non-compliant.

Although being non-compliant with WADA’s rules doesn’t immediately affect athletes, it could prompt the IAAF to consider further sanctions, including a possible international ban.

Kenya’s athletes won 11 medals at London 2012.

Kenya was one of five countries – along with Morocco, Ethiopia, Belarus and Ukraine – placed in “critical care” by the IAAF in March due to various degrees of non-compliance.

Russia will find out next month if it can send an athletics team to Rio after being suspended for widespread doping irregularities in November.

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