Ruth Chepngetich: Women's marathon world record-holder provisionally suspended after positive doping test

Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended after a positive doping test.

The move was announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Thursday after the test result was reported to them on 3 April.

The Kenyan runner had given a urine sample on 14 March which was found to contain a banned diuretic, the AIU said.

The substance that Chepngetich tested positive for, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), can be used to disguise the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

HCTZ works by reducing the amount of water in the body by increasing the flow of urine

Chepngetich opted for a "voluntary provisional suspension" on 19 April "while the AIU's investigation was ongoing", the unit said.

She was interviewed in person in Kenya in April and "complied with requests regarding our investigation", AIU official Brett Clothier said in a statement.

The AIU gave no timetable for a disciplinary case for the 30-year-old runner.

Read more from Sky News:
Financial impact of Musk's row with Trump
Starmer defends suspending rebel MPs
Bus crashes 'on way back from school trip'

Follow the World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Chepngetich set the women's world marathon record by almost two minutes at the Chicago Marathon last October in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 56 seconds. It was her third win in Chicago.

She also won the marathon at the 2019 world championships in Qatar, where the women's race started at midnight to avoid extreme daytime heat.