Kenyan athlete Kipyegon Bett, who won a bronze medal in the 800m at the 2017 World Championships in London, has died at 26 due to renal and hepatic failure.
Bett first gained prominence at the U20 World Championships in 2016 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and was considered one of Kenya’s top middle-distance runners. However, his career faltered in 2018 when he was suspended for doping after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO), a claim he consistently denied.
After serving his suspension, Bett faced ongoing mental health issues, including depression and alcohol addiction, which his sister reported.
He was hospitalized last week in his hometown of Kericho and was readmitted on Friday as his condition worsened.
Despite significant investments in anti-doping measures since the 2016 Rio Olympics, over 70 Kenyan athletes have been banned in the last three years. Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency raised concerns over severe budget cuts to the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak), which may jeopardize the integrity of Kenyan athletics.