Montsho weighs options
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Friday August 15, 2014 12:34
Montsho’s first sample tested positive soon after the Commonwealth Games 400m in Glasgow late last month. She had requested a second sample, and results released this week came out positive.
The Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) acting president, Botsang Tshenyego told the media in Gaborone yesterday that the athlete was still weighing her options.
She has an option to waive her right to such hearing and accept the findings. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has since advised Montsho to attend a formal hearing before a federation court at a date and time to be confirmed.
“The athlete is considering the two options and will advise the CGF, the international association of athletics federation (IAAF) and BNOC of her decision,” Tshenyego said.
He said the BNOC is not in a position to discuss the issue further as it was an interested party.
Tshenyego told journalists that they will wait until the relevant deliberations and processes have been concluded.
Tshenyego said since there is no body established as yet to deal specifically with issues of doping in the country, BNOC as a signatory to the World Anti Doping Association (WADA) code deals with such issues.
He also said BNOC as a body responsible for sending Montsho to the Commonwealth Games is conflicted on the matter.
He said any comments the BNOC makes can be used against the athlete or his committee.
Montsho was provisionally suspended from the Commonwealth Games after testing positive for methylhexaneamine.
She then exercised her option as per the provisions of the world anti doping code and requested for analysis of a B sample.
A further test was performed and the result also came out positive.
Montsho has been given up to August 22 to respond to the letter from CGF.
The athlete has a decorated career, becoming the first Motswana to win a world title.
Montsho won Commonwealth gold at Delhi 2010 and the world title in 2011.
Her gold medals at Delhi and Daegu were her country’s first at a Commonwealth Games and World Championships respectively, and she also won silver at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, losing out to Great Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu.