Kenyan middle-distance runner Kipyegon Bett, who won a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the 2017 World Championships in London, has died at the age of 26 due to renal and hepatic failure.
Bett gained prominence at the U20 World Championships in 2016 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and was regarded as one of Kenya’s top athletic prospects. However, his career faced a setback in 2018 when he was suspended for doping after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance that enhances performance. Bett consistently denied the allegations.
After serving his suspension, which ended in August 2022, Bett struggled with mental health issues. His sister revealed that he battled depression and developed an alcohol addiction in the following years.
Bett was hospitalized last week in his hometown of Kericho and was readmitted on Friday as his condition deteriorated.
Despite significant investments in anti-doping measures since the 2016 Rio Olympics, over 70 Kenyan athletes have been banned in the past three years. Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency raised concerns with Kenya’s sports ministry regarding major cuts to the operational budget of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak). This year, Adak’s budget was reduced from $2.32 million to just $155,000, prompting worries about the integrity of Kenyan athletics.
