Audio By Carbonatix
Olympic and world 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto will miss the first Diamond League event of the season in Monaco after testing positive for coronavirus.
Kipruto, 25, had been one of 11 Kenyan athletes cleared to compete on 14 August after the French government waived their visa applications.
But he announced he had failed the Covid-19 protocol test on Saturday.
"I don't have any symptoms and I was actually in great shape," he said.
"I was planning to go for the world record - it has stayed too long outside Kenya."
Kipruto claimed gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics and won back-to-back world titles at London in 2017 and Doha last year.
He has a personal best of eight minutes 00.12 seconds, with Kenyan-born Qatar athlete Saif Saaeed Shaheen holding the current men's world record of 7:53.63.
"I wish to thank Monaco for all the work they have done and I wish them and my colleagues a wonderful competition," added Kipruto.
"Athletics is back and I will be back as well."
Following exhibition events in Oslo and Zurich in June and July, Monaco will mark the start of the competitive season.
A further six events, including an exhibition street event in Lausanne, are currently scheduled to take place this year, after meetings in Eugene, London, Paris, Rabat, Gateshead and Shanghai were all cancelled because of coronavirus.
Latest Stories
-
Bank of Ghana warns against misuse of currency
51 seconds -
Sam George pushes for nationwide 4G upgrade of rural telephony sites
2 minutes -
Local Government Ministry to support MMDAs to deliver gov’t agendaÂ
12 minutes -
At least five killed in Sudan’s South Kordofan in attack by rebel group
24 minutes -
“Music is so stressful” – Headless YouTuber on why he won’t return
24 minutes -
Cleveland police chief proud of force but being ‘let down’ by funding
44 minutes -
Black Sherif drops new 6-track EP ‘Sun Sherif’
1 hour -
GTA partners Africa’s Brain Bank for Medical City groundbreaking
2 hours -
How to check 2026 WASSCE results on mobile phone
2 hours -
President Mahama is a professional comedian – DKBÂ
2 hours -
Final day of Joy FM Back-to-School Fair: Come shop, save and prepare for the new school year
3 hours -
GSE showed strong performance in August 2026 despite recording more stock losses
5 hours -
If CJ needs ethics law to know SOE comments were wrong, he may not be worthy of office – Arthur Kennedy
6 hours -
Stop touring state agencies and focus on the Judiciary’s problems – Arthur Kennedy to CJ
6 hours -
Apologise and don’t do it again – Arthur Kennedy to Chief Justice over SOE comments
6 hours