Kenyan Track Coach Reportedly Posed As Runner To Give A Fake Urine Sample To Doping Control

Earlier this week, Kenyan Athletics’ Michael Rotich was detained by Kenyan police on accusations that he was soliciting bribes from coaches in exchange for warning them about approaching doping tests. This afternoon, Kenya’s Citizen TV reported that track coach John Anzrah was caught posing as an athlete in order to give fake urine sample to anti-doping officials in Rio. Reuters confirmed the report shortly after. Anzrah was apparently trying to pretend that he was Ferguson Rotich, one of the top 800-meter runners in the world.

For reference, Rotich looks like this.

And here’s Anzrah.

Honestly, I am impressed by Anzrah’s boldness in impersonating someone who he looks nothing like. Kenyan Olympic committee chairman Kip Keino denounced the behavior, and even said that he didn’t pay for Anzrah to come to Brazil:

“He presented himself as an athlete, gave the urine sample and even signed the documents. We cannot tolerate such behavior,” Keino said in a telephone interview from Rio after a Kenyan media outlet reported Anzrah had been sent home.

“We don’t even know how he came here because we (NOCK) did not facilitate his travel here,” added Keino.