When Kazakhstani steeplechase world champion Norah Jeruto faced career-ending doping allegations based on irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), her entire athletic legacy hung in the balance. The 2022 World Champion knew that a conviction would mean a four-year suspension—stripping away her world title, prize money, and future competitive opportunities. With World Athletics building their case on statistical models rather than concrete evidence, Jeruto turned to Global Sports Advocates to defend her reputation and prove her innocence.
On March 25, 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in Jeruto's favor by stating that World Athletics’ appeal against Ms. Jeruto was dismissed. They wrote, “Given that Ms. Jeruto is not liable for a violation of Rule 2.2 of the ADR, the first Appealed Decision is upheld, and no consequences are to be imposed upon her, i.e., no period of ineligibility and no disqualification of results.”
GSA’s Defense Strategy Prioritized Medical Evidence Over Statistical Models
While World Athletics built their case entirely on statistical models and computer algorithms designed to detect unusual patterns in blood values, the GSA legal team recognized that defeating these allegations required a fundamentally different approach. GSA needed to provide compelling medical evidence that offered alternative explanations for every abnormal reading in Jeruto's ABP rather than simply challenging their data interpretation.
GSA’a most compelling evidence involved Jeruto's COVID-19 infection in August 2020. Expert testimony established that she contracted the virus during Kenya's outbreak peak—timing that proved crucial since the infection occurred precisely when her blood values showed the most significant abnormalities.
This timing mattered because medical literature has documented that the COVID-19 virus can cause blood abnormalities identical to those found in Jeruto's samples. The infection affects red blood cell production, hemoglobin levels, and other markers that ABP systems monitor for signs of doping. These changes can persist for months after recovery, creating patterns that algorithms might flag as suspicious but actually represent legitimate physiological responses to illness.
GSA also presented evidence of Jeruto's documented history of peptic ulcer disease, diagnosed in 2017. Medical records confirmed ongoing gastrointestinal bleeding episodes that explained additional abnormal samples in her ABP. Expert testimony supported this explanation, detailing how chronic bleeding affects blood chemistry in ways that might be misinterpreted as evidence of an athlete’s prohibited substance use.
Additionally, GSA demonstrated that the timing of the alleged abnormalities did not align with competitions where Jeruto would benefit from performance enhancement. The suspicious readings occurred during training periods and off seasons—undermining any logical motive for doping.
GSA also got World Athletics' own experts to contradict themselves during cross-examination, as they changed their conclusions multiple times. Their expert witnesses initially claimed the doping corresponded to competitions, only to modify their opinion and claim it was done to help with training when presented with additional evidence that showed she did not race at all during the period in question. This internal inconsistency damaged the credibility of the scientific case against Norah.
A Victory for Scientific Integrity in Anti-Doping Cases
The CAS decision establishes important precedents for how Athlete Biological Passports must be evaluated. The CAS panel emphasized that anti-doping authorities cannot rely solely on statistical models without considering legitimate medical explanations for an athlete’s blood markers. This standard will hopefully ensure that future athletes face only credible, well-supported allegations backed by solid scientific evidence.
“It was truly an honor to stand up for an innocent athlete like Norah and protect her rights,” said Founding Partner Paul Greene. “We truly care about everyone we represent and are very happy that Norah has been able to return to her life without this hanging over her head.”
