Crackdown on doping cheats

Attempts to undermine the doping control process could result in lengthy suspensions, athletes have been warned by the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids).

This after distance runner Louisa Leballo (above) was slapped with an eight-year ban for two anti-doping infringements.

The SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) confirmed yesterday the 39-year-old athlete had received a four-year suspension after returning an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test in March.

She was given an additional four years for undermining the doping control process.

“The finding on Leballo’s attempt to subvert the process should serve as a warning to athletes that attempting to coerce or intimidate a doping control officer is itself a prosecutable offence,” said Saids chief executive Khalid Galant.

Making a comeback after a four-year hiatus, Leballo had raised eyebrows with her superb form this season.

In February she set a 5 000m personal best of 16:24.44, and in March she clocked a 10 000m career best of 34:22.71 in Pretoria. She went on to lead the national senior women’s team by taking 33rd place at the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, and in April she stunned the field at the Spar Women’s Grand Prix 10km road race in Cape Town, winning in 32:58 to chop 31 seconds off her personal best.