MONTSHO BLAMES ENERGY DRINK FOR DOPING MISHAP

Photo: Amantle Monthso (Getty Images)

Botswana’s most decorated athlete, Amantle Montsho is facing a two year suspension for failing a routine drug test at the recently ended Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Her A and B sample returned positive for Methylhexaneamine, a substance considered a stimulant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As such she was not able to compete at the recently concluded 2014 African Championships in Athletics where she was the defending champion in the women’s 400m

News came via The Botswana Gazette Sport Magazine, has reveal that a source close to the athlete informed them publication that the former women’s 400m world champion unknowingly consumed the substance and that she was not aware that she was consuming Methylhexaneamine prior to the Common Wealth Games.

One of the energy drinks believed to contain the banned substance is named Anabolic Nitro Extreme Energy Surge. The substance is in WADA’s prohibited list, it has been banned by sport authorities around the world since 2010.. It is commonly found in pre workout energy drinks and nasal decongestants.

Montsho has accepted the results from her failed drugs test and waived her right to appeal before the Commonwealth Games Federation Court. Her decision not to appeal means the Botswana athlete’s results from the Commonwealths, where she finished fourth, have been annulled.

Past cases involving positive test for Methylhexaneamine includes T&T athletes Kelly- Ann Baptiste and Semoya Hackett and Jamaican Domonique Blake.

Meanwhile, Montsho is believed to be planning to retire after the Rio 2016 Olympics, she will be aged 33. If suspended, she could return in time for the 2016 Brazilian held tournament.

The 2010 Commonwealth 400m champion Amantle Montsho intends to hang up her running shoes after the 2016 Rio Olympics to become a basketball player. Far from enjoying the sport casually, Montsho says she wants to compete for her nation on the basketball court. Even though Botswana have never been represented in basketball at the Olympics, she has dreams of an appearance at the 2020 competition in Tokyo.