Kenya's Sumgong banned for four years for doping offence

2016 Rio Olympics - Athletics - Final - Women's Marathon -Sambodromo - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 14/08/2016. Jemima Sumgong (KEN) of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the race REUTERS/David Gray

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong has been handed a four-year ban by Kenya's anti-doping agency (ADAK) after testing positive for the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO), officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said Sumgong, who became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic marathon title when she struck gold in Rio last year, had failed an out of competition test in April, days before she was due to defend her London Marathon title. Her four-year ban has been backdated to April 3.