MONACO (AP) — Turkish Olympic runner Aras Kaya has been banned for three years after testing positive for EPO at a recent 10-kilometer race, the Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday.
The 28-year-old Kenya native admitted using recombinant erythropoietin at the race in Romania in September. Blood doping is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The violation carries a four-year ban but Kaya received a one-year reduction because he “returned a signed admission” on the day he was notified of the test result, the AIU said. His suspension commenced Dec. 4.
Kaya competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he was eliminated in the heats.
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