Daniel Wanjiru, the winner of the 2017 London Marathon, has been provisionally suspended due to an alleged anti-doping violation.
The Kenyan has been banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit due to irregularities in his biological passport.
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Wanjiru won the London Marathon three years ago in a time of two hours, five minutes and 56 seconds.
A statement from the 27-year-old's management company said Wanjiru denied the accusation.
"This statement comes from the heart, I am clean in the sports I do," he said.
"The ABP [athlete biological passport] finding is confusing and frustrating me. Specialists have informed me about how this can happen and I have come to realise there can be hundreds of reasons found why HB [haemoglobin] is fluctuating.
"I feel I am already seen as a sinner of doping, but I am not. I am innocent.
"It's very painful what's happening to me now. I've always believed that those athletes who are suspended because of a doping violation, were indeed guilty of what they did.
"But I've realised that being charged of guilt is just easy and now proving being unguilty is hard.
"I stand for clean sports. My results of the past came through hard work only. I have never used doping.
"We are currently investigating the case. Knowing I have never used anything, I have faith everything will be all right."
