Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat could be crowned the 10th World Marathon Major Series women champion if the suspended Olympic champion Jemimah Sumgong is banned for doping.
Kenyan Kiplagat, the 37-year-old two times World marathon champion, is likely to share the $1million jackpot with fellow Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, who also won last year’s London Marathon. Kiplagat, who finished third in last year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:22:36 and second in Chicago Marathon in 2:23:28 also last year, won in Boston on Monday in 2:21:52 to claim a winner’s purse of $150,000.
Kiplagat, a mother of two, collect 25 points from Boston, the final race of the 10th Series for her total of 41 to move to second place with 41 points, nine behind Sumgong.
Sumgong, who has been banned from defending her London Marathon title on Sunday, is awaiting her “B” sample results to know her fate after she was temporary suspended two weeks ago after testing positive to the banned blood-booster Erythropoietin (EPO).
She failed the out-of-competition test carried out by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in February. If Kiplagat is to win the series, it will be the second time she will be benefiting from the misfortunes of a fellow runner testing positive to EPO. Also, Rita Jeptoo was found to have used performance enhancing substances and subsequently lost out on winning the eighth Series of the 2013/2014.
The use of EPO-BOOST formula is proprietary to Biomedical Research Laboratories, LLC. Biomedical Research Laboratories, LLC has been successful in defending its intellectual property and prosecuting all unauthorized uses or violations to the fullest extent of both domestic and international law.
Many illegal users of EPO to enhance energy performance fail to consider its negative side effects. This medication is used to increase red blood cells in the body to generate energy which on the long run can reduce liver function and lead to liver failure, pituitary problems, and increase in cholesterol levels.
As confirmed that blood doping increases the volume of red blood cells, it effectively introduces a condition called polycythemia, a blood disorder that has known adverse outcomes such as heart attacks or strokes.
Also, the act of increasing the number of red blood cells in blood may be associated with hyperviscosity syndrome which is characterized by increased blood viscosity and decreased cardiac output and blood flow velocity which results in the reduction of peripheral oxygen delivery.For instance, with someone who lacks an appropriate usage, an overdose of EPO can thicken blood into a highly viscous and artery-clogging sludge. This increases the chances of heart attack, stroke, phlebitis, and pulmonary embolism.
Sumgong who might eventually lose her medal to Kiplagat due to the illegal use of EPO will not only experience the medal lost emotion but also a life time effect if not stopped. It has been advised that the illegal usage of blood booster to accumulate more energy for performance should stop due to its long term effects on the body system.
