Kenya's former world marathon record holder received the suspension for whereabouts failures and tampering by providing false evidence and witness testimony.

"The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) rely on information from ADAK and AK," Kipsang said, as reported by KTN News.

"Because these guys are not in good terms with me, they give wrong information about me. 

"I give the right information but they say 'this guy is lying' because we are not in good terms."

The 38-year-old also suggested that the four-year ban spelt the end of his career.

"I have no intention of running again," he said. 

"I officially retire."

Kipsang was provisionally suspended in January after being charged with two breaches of anti-doping rules, including four whereabouts violations. 

This included a missed test on April 27 in 2018 and a filing failure related to whereabouts information for January 18 in 2019.

Kipsang also missed tests on April 12 and May 17 in 2019, the AIU said.

Three failures within a 12-month period can lead to a ban. 

The second charge was related to providing "misleading information and evidence" to the AIU in his explanation related to the last two missed tests in an "attempt to obstruct or delay the investigation".

Kipsang had claimed the missed test on May 17 had been caused by a traffic accident, which had allegedly caused a traffic jam.

He provided a photo of the crash, but the AIU obtained information which found the image came from an accident reported on August 19, three months after the missed test.

Kipsang set the marathon world record time in Berlin in 2013, completing the race in 2 hours 3min 23sec.

A year earlier, he won the Olympic bronze medal at London 2012.

He is also a two-time London Marathon champion, having won in the British capital in 2012 and 2014.

Kipsang has two other World Marathon Majors wins to his name following success at New York City in 2014 and Tokyo in 2017.

He is the only athlete to have ever beaten the current world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, over 26.2 miles.

The AIU organised an anti-doping conference with Athletics Kenya last year, amid ongoing concerns over the number of Kenyan runners being sanctioned for doping offences.

Kipsang was among those to attend and posted on social media following the event.

Kenya is one of seven countries classed in Category A by the AIU in relation to their doping risk.

Category A nations are both successful at international level but present a "high absolute doping risk".

Fifty-five Kenyan athletes are currently serving suspensions, according to the AIU database.