Durban - Comrades Marathon runners such as Zola Budd who were stripped of their age category wins for failing to wear the required tag should not have been disadvantaged as the rules around this were ambiguous, a report to KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) has recommended.
But the report compiled by Anand Naicker, KZNA’s technical delegate for the race, has been rejected by athletics officials.
Budd’s manager, Ray de Vries, said they were taking legal action over the issue.
“We have briefed legal counsel and got an opinion. Should KZNA not communicate with us within seven days, we will have no other choice but to look to the courts for answers,” he said.
The report, handed over to athletics bosses two weeks after the race, found that a rule change to this year’s event that required athletes to have their age category number printed on their race bib created confusion, as a separate rule stated that “an age category tag must be worn on front and back of the upper body garment”.
Naicker’s report found that the confusion was compounded by the fact that the rule was “absent in the final instruction” of the race.
“It is my contention that this is ambiguous and has contributed to the problem that exists. Both documents are not aligned,” he wrote.
The Daily News is in possession of a copy of the report.
“Clearly there is ambiguity in interpretation and the fact that CMA (Comrades Marathon Association) included age in race numbers for the first time has posed its challenges,” he added. “Based on the fact of the ambiguity and first time implementation and associated challenges listed… every runner who had age identification on the race number and linked to (the) database, which had been checked against (the) ID number, should not be disadvantaged.”
But the KZNA stuck to its guns on Wednesday. In an e-mailed response to the Daily News, its president, Sello Mokoena, said: “Kindly note that what you are quoting is the 2014 Comrade Marathon technical delegate’s view, and not the chief referee decision. For your readers’ information, the race technical delegate advises the race organiser on technical matters on behalf of the federation in the planning and preparation phases of the event, and hands over to the chief referee on race day, and since your queries relate to what happened on race day, the technical delegates personal feelings may not be relevant.
“We have not received any information that Ms Budd has solicited any official from the federation to use any public domain to mitigate on her behalf. The relevant report, as is standard procedure in events of this nature globally, is that of the chief race referee.”
Mokoena said the Comrades Marathon was hosted by KZNA and run under the auspices and rules of the athletics body.
“Ms Budd did not comply with the age category rules and was therefore not eligible for age category prizes – she was never disqualified from the event,” Mokoena said. “Any other prize eligibility queries will be finalised once the final result, currently awaiting Anti-Doping Control results, had been signed off.”
De Vries said in a statement on Wednesday: “Comrades Marathon, KZNA as well as individuals within those organisations will be called to account.”
He said the “debacle” had “no equal in the history of the race” and accused the race director and KZNA of passing the buck, with neither taking responsibility.
Budd, 48, came seventh and was the first female South African in the top 10. She was however stripped of her first veteran prize as she had not worn her age category tag – although her age was on her race bib.
While she still qualifies for the R25 000 for overall seventh place and gets to keep her gold medal, De Vries said that was not enough.