Athletics South Africa (ASA) on Tuesday announced that top marathon runner Gert Thys has been suspended from all athletics competitions, pending a resolution of his anti-doping case.
ASA was advised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that in accordance with the international standards for the World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratories, the laboratory of Seoul, South Korea, informed the IAAF that Thys’s urine sample collected on March 12 at the Seoul International Marathon, contained the prohibited substance Norandrosterone.
In accordance with IAAF Rule 32.2(a) the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s body tissues or fluids constitutes an anti-doping rule violation.
Norandrosterone is a prohibited substance under IAAF rules.
Thys now has until May 2 to advise ASA if he wishes to have a hearing. — Sapa