Blow for SA as Olympics medal hopeful is banned

SOUTH African long jumper Luvo Manyonga, pictured, as been handed a four-year ban after failing to meet ‘whereabouts’ criteria, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced yesterday.

Manyonga, who took silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016, will now likely miss next month’s Tokyo Games.

It is not the first time the South African track and field star finds himself in violation of the rules. In January, he was temporarily banned for failing to notify anti-doping authorities of his location.

The world athletics unit responsible for anti-doping released the news through twitter yesterday.

“The Disciplinary Tribunal has banned South African long jumper Luvo Manyonga for four years from 23 December 2020 for whereabouts failures, his second violation of the @ WorldAthletics Anti-Doping Rules,” the Athletics Integrity Unit tweeted.

The 30-year-old, the African record holder with a best of 8.65m, can appeal the ban at the Swiss-based Court of

Arbitration for Sport.

The rules say that athletes must let authorities know their intended whereabouts to allow anti-doping officials to find them.

If they fail to show or give wrong information three times in a year they can be punished.

The AIU said Manyonga missed a first test on November 26, 2019, and was then too imprecise on location details for two others in 2020.

In 2012, Manyonga, also Commonwealth

champion in 2018, was banned for 18 months after testing positive for recreational drug crystal meth (methamphetamine).

Last year, Manyonga got into trouble with the authorities and was fined‚ in terms of the Disaster Management Act‚ with public drinking and contravening lockdown restrictions in Stellenbosch.

The 2017 world champion was ordered to appear in court or pay a R2 500 admission of guilt fine.