Date:06/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/06/stories/2006030609602000.htm

Sport - Athletics

Drug claim hits top athlete in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG: South African 400m hurdles athlete Surita Febbraio will not travelling to the Commonwealth Games after she tested positive for the banned substance Testosterone in an out-of-competition test on Sunday.

The SA Institute of Drug-Free Sport informed Athletics SA (ASA) informed the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) that they had approached the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) in a bid to establish the exact levels of testosterone reported, which would reveal whether the elevated levels of testosterone have been generated via the use of a banned substance.

With the IAAF expected to respond to ASA's request for further information early next week, SASCOC officials confirmed that Febbraio will not be travelling to Melbourne with Team SA, leaving the number of SA participants set to compete in the Games at 242 athletes. . — Agencies