Comrades champ cleared of doping

Ten months after he won the Comrades Marathon, Ludwick Mamabolo has been cleared of doping charges. Photo by Anesh Debiky

Ten months after he won the Comrades Marathon, Ludwick Mamabolo has been cleared of doping charges. Photo by Anesh Debiky

Published Apr 30, 2013

Share

 Johannesburg - Comrades Marathon champion Ludwick Mamabolo has been cleared on doping charges, more than 10 months after he tested positive for methylhexaneamine.

Trevor Boswell of Werksmans Attorneys, which handled Mamabolo's case on a pro bono basis, said the athlete was found not guilty on Tuesday in a 60-page judgment.

“They found there was a system failure in the Comrades doping process,” Boswell said.

“We identified 14 or 15 irregularities in the sample process.”

In an unprecedented move in South African athletics, Mamabolo was allowed to return to competitive running in February in order to earn an income and prepare for this year's Comrades Marathon, pending the outcome of the hearing.

His B-sample had confirmed the presence of methylhexaneamine after his A-sample tested positive for the banned stimulant, following his victory in the annual ultra-marathon in Durban last year.

Boswell confirmed Mamabolo would be defending his title in this year's 89km race, an 'up' run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on June 2. - Sapa

Related Topics: