South Africa’s fastest sprinter receives six-year doping ban

On Friday, the South African 100m record holder, Carina Horn, received a six-year ban from all track and field competitions due to her second doping offense in the last four years. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed that Horn tested positive for clenbuterol, a prohibited substance, at a track meeting in Spain in June 2022.

Both Horn’s A and B samples tested positive for clenbuterol, a steroid known for enhancing athletic performance by increasing the body’s metabolic rate. This marks her second doping violation after a previous suspension in September 2019 for testing positive for ibutamoren and ligandrol. Horn proclaimed her supplements were contaminated, which led to a reduced suspension of two years instead of a potential four-year ban.

As a consequence of the recent violation, all of Horn’s results after June 18, 2022, have been DQ’d, including victories in several World Athletics Continental Tour events and a South African national championship in the 100m.

In 2018 Horn became the first South African woman to break the 11-second barrier in the 100m with a time of 10.98. However, her career now faces a significant setback, as she will be ineligible for competition until 2029.

Following her previous ban, Horn came back to represent South Africa in the women’s 100m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Additionally, she won a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2022 African Championships in Mauritius, just two weeks before her positive test in Spain. Throughout her senior career, Horn has been the top female sprinter for South Africa, participating in five world championships and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

She has also earned accolades such as 4x100m relay gold and 100m silver at the 2016 African Championships in Durban, South Africa.

posted Friday August 4th
by Running Magazine