Nairobi, Jul 3 (IANS): Olympic bronze medal-winning distance runner Wilson Kipsang on Friday was banned for four years for anti-doping violations by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

The AIU stated that Kipsang had violated the whereabouts clause as many as four times between April 2018 and May 2019 and has been handed with a backdated ban.

"The World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal has banned long-distance runner Wilson Kipsang of Kenya for four years with effect from Jan. 10, 2020 for whereabouts failures and tampering by providing false evidence and witness testimony," the AIU said in a statement on their Twitter handle.

Kipsang was handed with a provisional ban in January due to the violations. According to the rules, three missed test within a 12-month period results in the athlete getting suspended.

Kipsang won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Games while he is also a five-time gold medalist at marathon majors across the world.

He is also a former world record holder in marathon after he clocked 2:03:23 at the Berlin Marathon in 2013.