Elana free to run - for now
June 13, 2003 Edition -1
Mark Beer
Elana Meyer yesterday had her suspension lifted by Athletics South Africa, although the governing body has still to decide whether the world half-marathon record holder is guilty of a doping offence or not.
On May 7, ASA announced that the Boland athlete was found to have exceeded the reportable limit of the banned stimulant caffeine in a sample provided at a 10km race in Bali, Indonesia, on February 2.
The Stellenbosch star was suspended from all athletics activities and the subsequent testing of Meyer's B sample, conducted in Malaysia, merely confirmed the presence of the illegal substance.
Meyer was summoned to appear before an ASA disciplinary tribunal into her alleged doping offence in Johannesburg yesterday, but the hearing was postponed until August 14 when finality could not be reached.
"The tribunal, chaired by Monty Hacker, announced that the provisional suspension on Elana has been lifted with immediate effect, pending the finding of the August 14 hearing," an ASA statement said.
The decision to postpone the hearing came after ASA requested more time to consider results, that will only become available towards the end of June, of further investigations into the matter.
"This also allows the athlete the opportunity to undergo a caffeine metabolism investigation."
Meyer expressed satisfaction with the decision to lift her suspension.
"I am very happy that I can again compete in events, but of course am disappointed that the matter could not be resolved today," she said.
Meyer has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has requested various further tests be done by Dr Ryan Kohler, a recognised doping expert at the University of Stellenbosch, as well as further information from the IAAF and the testing laboratory in Malaysia.
"Although these tests were complete today and I was ready to present the evidence I had at my disposal, it seems as if the IAAF had not provided the information that ASA have requested from them on my behalf.
"This information is crucial to my case."
Even though Meyer now has two months to stew over the matter, she will probably escape with nothing more than a public warning if she is indeed found guilty of a doping offence, as this is her first offence and caffeine is a stimulant, not a steroid.
"But I believe that I have not done anything wrong and would not have pursued this matter had I not strongly believed in my innocence," she said.
