Posted: March 26, 2007

Athletics: Taher Guilty Of Age Manipulation

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com By Bob Ramsak MOMBASA, Kenya - An investigation by the sport's world governing body determined that Bahraini runner Tarek Mubarek Salem Taher falsified documents to manipulate his age. The onging probe found that Taher, the former Kenyan Dennis Kipkurui Sang, falsified a birth certificate in order to obtain a Kenyan passport which listed his date of birth as 1 December, 1989, when he was actually at least three years older. Competing for Bahrain, Taher won the 2000m steeplechase at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, a competition only open to athletes 17 or younger. He also competed for his adopted country in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships and the 2006 World Junior championships, where he finished second in the 3000m steeplechase where he was also ineligible to compete. The evidence, described by IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss as "conclusive," was obtained with "full support" of the Kenyan government. The IAAF Council, currently meeting in Mombasa, Kenya, notified the Bahraini federation, which is to hold a disciplinary hearing and report back to the world body within a month. The ongoing probe also included two other Kenyan-born athletes now competing for Bahrain. Ali Belal Mansour, the former John Kipkorir Yego, was cleared of age manipulation charges, while the case against Khamis Aadam Ismael, the former Hosea Kiplagat Kosgei, is still on-going. Khamis won the bronze medal medal in the 10,000m at last summer's World Junior Championships, and was fifth in the 5000m. The three-day meeting will conclude on Tuesday, with the announcement of the host cities for the 2011 and 2013 World Championships in Athletics. Photo: Taher in Velenje, Slovenia, in June 2006 (Photo by Bob Ramsak) Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest