Kenyan-born long-distance runner Susan Kipsang-Jeptooo has been suspended for 18 months after testing positive for a banned substance, the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) said on Monday. 

Kipsang-Jeptooo, 35, gained French nationality in 2019 and finished 38th for France in the marathon in last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

AFP has learnt that she tested positive for stimulant heptaminol after winning the French 10km title last September.

Last October, Kipsang-Jeptooo as well as her husband and former coach were questioned by French authorities for possession and procurement of illicit substances as well as possession and procurement of false administrative documents.

Her ban, which started on June 8 2022 is in place until December 8, 2023.