Posted: October 19, 2006

Drugs in Sport: Two South African Ultra Stars Banned

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Riel Hauman Two South African ultramarathon runners, Ephraim Malaza and Themba Lamane, have been suspended for a period of two years, Athletics South Africa has announced. Hearings took place last month and the ASA tribunal found both guilty of having committed a doping offence in terms of the IAAF rules. Lamane tested positive for the banned substance Norandrosterone at the Two Oceans on Easter Saturday. Lamane finished fourth and has now been suspended until May 17, 2008. Malaza was third in the Loskop 50 km, held the week after the Two Oceans (April 22), and was found to have used the same banned substance. He is suspended until May 21, 2008. Both runners were earlier provisionally suspended pending the outcome of the hearings. In a statement ASA said Lamane and Malaza “must also make themselves available for regular out-of-competition testing over the two-year period, should they wish to return to competition”.

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