Drug cheats beware! That's the warning from the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, which will be casting its doping net wider at Monday's Comrades Marathon.
Last year some of the top athletes - local and international - were in a state of shock when the institute pounced on 10 to 15 men and women runners on the eve of the "up" run.
And as the news spread that there was to be dope testing, some of the top runners pulled out of the race, feigning injury, or withdrew as having fallen "sick".
EPO testing was conducted for the first time in South Africa last year. A blood and urine sample of an athlete is taken before the event and the blood is sent to a local laboratory for screening.
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| 'The athletes must realise we want the sport to be clean at all times' |
If, after screening, the blood shows abnormalities, it is sent to one of three international laboratories in Australia, Norway or France for more tests with the athlete's urine sample.
Because of the enormous cost of conducting these tests, the institute tested just a handful of runners in last year's Comrades.
This time, however, the net will be cast wider. The institute will not divulge how many runners will be called up for out-of-competition (before the race) or in-competition (soon after the race is over) tests.
But they have indicated that the numbers will be considerably higher than last year.
And the reason: the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein has an IOC-accredited laboratory to conduct the tests and the results will be received quicker and it will be cost effective, according to the institute.
| 'I can confidently say that all my runners are clean' |
"We are not obliged to say how many runners will be tested before or after the Comrades," Daphne Bradbury, chief executive of the institute, said from Cape Town on Tuesday.
"We will be testing - that's official. We cannot divulge details."
Chris Hattingh, who represents Athletics South Africa in the anti-doping campaign, said he was pleased all runners tested last year were "clean".
However, what surprised him when it was announced there would be EPO testing last year was the number of sudden withdrawals from the race.
"The athletes must realise we want the sport to be clean at all times," Hattingh said.
When asked if the sport in South Africa was successful in weeding out drug "cheats", he added: "It appears to be cleaner at the moment. We are getting there slowly.
"However, I've got to admit Comrades was certainly a clean race last year."
Meanwhile Ray de Vries, manager of the Mr Price World team, who brings out top international runners each year, said the doping tests should be orchestrated in a proper manner and not like it was done last year.
He said his runners would be prepared to co-operate with the doping officials but he would like to see all teams and top runners making themselves available when called on to take the tests.
"I can confidently say that all my runners are clean. From our point of view we are behind the move to test runners.
"I think we should be told beforehand to present our runners before the testers, and we will gladly co-operate."
- This article was originally published on page 18 of Daily News on June 10, 2003
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