Muthuka banned for two years for doping

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan 400-meter runner Elizabeth Muthuka has been banned for two years after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone. Athletics Kenya secretary-general David Okeyo said Muthuka returned a positive test in July after setting a Kenyan record of 50.2 seconds at the national championships, beating the 24-year-old previous mark by 3.1 seconds. Muthuka is the fourth female runner Athletics Kenya has banned for doping in the past five years, but Okeyo said that is not an indicator that drugs are a problem in Kenyan athletics. Okeyo said all the athletes who failed doping tests had unwittingly used medication containing banned substances. "But ignorance is no defense," Okeyo said. – AP