Emily Sisson is devastated to hear of the scandal surrounding Ruth Chepngetich and her positive drug test. The American record holder in the marathon said it feels like a “punch in the gut.”
She questions the integrity of the sport.
Sisson responded to the biggest news in recent track and field history. The Athletics Integrity Unit formally announced a provisional suspension for Chepngetich, dating back to early March. She tested positive for high levels of Hydrochlorothiazide in her urine.
Did Ruth Chepngetich cheat?
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic often used to mask the presence of other prohibited substances. Any test that comes back with a number lower than 20 ng/mL is considered negative. The 30-year-old Kenyan was popped for 3,800 ng/mL— 190 times the legal limit.
Mind you, we do not know the entire story at this point in time. Perhaps Ruth Chepngetich has a legitimate explanation for the high levels of Hydrochlorothiazide. Maybe she is innocent.
Innocent until proven guilty, but…
The initial findings would suggest otherwise. I would guess Chepngetich was trying to hide something, but I will hold my judgement until her case is heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal if she chooses to go down that route. If she does not go that route, I find it really hard to believe she is not guilty of cheating. Especially when she accepted a self-imposed suspension when AIU first showed her the results.
Ruth Chepngetich set the women’s world record in the marathon at the Chicago Marathon in 2024. She beat the preexisting mark by more than two minutes.
It was one of the greatest athletic feats of all-time. Now it is tainted forever.
Emily Sisson can’t keep up.
Emily Sisson, who won a silver medal at the Chicago Marathon in 2022, is one of the best and most accomplished long distance runners in American history. Certainly 10K and up.
However, she has struggled to keep pace with the most elite women in the world in recent years. Chepngetich’s positive test might explain why.
“What has been something that has been hard for me to swallow lately, is feeling like trying to keep up has really taken a toll on my body,” she posted on Instagram. “I try to keep things light an positive but when this news breaks it feels like a punch in the gut.”
Sisson doesn’t have the extra juice.
Ignorance is bliss until it’s not.
As a competitive long distance runner, Emily Sisson tries to approach every competition as if the other runners are also clean. And even then, she has to sometimes suppress a gut feeling.
“‘Ignorance is bliss’ is how you have to operate on a starting line to give yourself a shot and not count yourself out of any race,” Sisson said. “Plus, you can have your own gut instinct but you can never really know.”
To learn that Ruth Chepngetich might’ve been doping during her world record run presents the wrong image of the sport. Sisson wants to prove otherwise.
“To any young athletes out there that might think everyone is cheating or must have a TUE, I know you can only take my word, but I promise it is possible to make it onto the world stage without doing so,” she said. “Don’t lose hope!”
Perhaps this latest scandal will help to swing the pendulum back in the other direction. Emily Sisson just wants a fair chance against runners like Ruth Chepngetich. Is that too much to ask?