W30 sprint champion at Sacramento masters was banned once
Two-time Olympian Natasha Mayers competed as a guest at Sacramento masters nationals. She won the W30 100 by nearly a second. But she’s being shadowed by a doping suspension that led one masters sprinter to send me an article about her two-year sanction. Natasha, an NCAA champion for USC and an Olympian for the Caribbean
Interestingly, Natasha claims as her coach one Mahasse Cornelius,stuck out his tongue at a fellow sprinter near the end of a race.
Here are her results from outdoor masters nationals:
2010 USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships
W30 100 Meter Dash
==================================================
Name Age Team Finals Wind
==================================================
Finals
1 *Mayers, Natasha W31 St Vincent 11.39 0.9
2 Bernert, Brandi W31 Unattached 12.24 0.9
3 Moulds, Latisha W32 U.S. Air For 12.34 0.9
4 Fields, Zhauntel W31 Team Zoom 13.36 0.9
5 Touya, Kimberly W34 2nd Wind Tra 13.68 0.9
— Zmijewski, Christine W32 Unattached DNS 0.9
Here’s what one athlete sent me:
Vincentian sprinter Natasha Mayers slapped with two-year ban
by Gary Smith
for Caribbean Net News
Monday, July 11, 2005KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: St Vincent and the Grenadines’ sprinter Natasha Mayers has been suspended from international track and field for two years after testing positive for a banned substance.
A source told Caribbean Net News that after two weeks of speculations, it was confirmed that the former NCAA representative had tested positive for testosterone.
According reports out of St Vincent the former University of Southern California star, who was examined at her Los Angeles home April 21, had until June 6 to request a new examination. However Keith Joseph, president of the St Vincent Team Athletics Association said the 24-year old relinquished her rights to another test.
The results for the test were presented to the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), who passed it on to the St Vincent officials prior to breaking the news to Mayers.
Mayers is one of the biggest names to enter the international track and field circuit from her country. She represented St Vincent at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2004 Athens Games. Her chances of winning a medal in Athens were cut short due to a hamstring injury after the 100-metres semi-finals
In July 2005, this report throws more light on her case:
Natasha’s fall from grace
“I think persons who take drugs….you know…..should be banned….because that is cheating….you know,” said St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ premier female sprinter and Olympian, Natasha Mayers.This was in an interview, just minutes before boarding a flight at the E. T Joshua Airport at the end of a one-week visit home, a few months ago.
During the short trip, Mayers visited schools where reports said she spoke to children about the dangers of using illegal drugs and the need to work hard to achieve.
Reports say months after making these statements, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sports Personality for 2004, has been tested positive for a banned substance in out- of- competition testing, at her home in California.
For her transgression, Mayers has been slapped with a mandatory two-year suspension, by Team Athletics St. Vincent and the Grenadines.Keith Joseph, President of SVG Athletics said the world ranked sprinter tested positive for the banned drug, Testosterone on 21 April 2005 and the IAAF informed Team Athletics SVG on May 31st
Ms Mayers responded to the IAAF through Team Athletics SVG indicating that she understood the Rules and the implications of her violation. She claimed that it is my desire to learn from this incident and serve an appropriate suspension. I apologise for allowing this to happen and look forward to returning to competition in the future”, he added.
Joseph said following receipt of Mayers’ response, Team Athletics SVG immediately suspended her, provisionally, under the Rules of its Constitution that are the same as those of the IAAF in respect of Doping Control. He said the IAAF will rule on the matter shortly.
Reports say Mayers had a level of close to nine – more than twice the legal amount of testosterone permitted in the body.
Mayers 24, secured the coveted title, Sports Personality of the Year based on her outstanding performances on the international circuit last year. Reports say Mayers, who became a professional athlete in 2004, was able to compete against and out-performed some of the world renowned names in the 100 Metres event for 2004, to the point where she was ranked in the top ten women by the IAAF.
She also made it to the Quarter- final round in the 100 meters at the 28th edition of the Olympic Games, held in Athens, 2004. She was however forced out of the Games because of an injury, which she sustained.
Natasha Mayers who is currently based in the USA is expected to return to action in June 2007.
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About Ken Stone
Ken has followed track as an athlete, writer and web-master since the late 1960s, and saw most sessions of track and field at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also attended the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Trials, the last three as a blogger and Patch correspondent. [More...]
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5 Responses
It’s nice to be aware of your competition and his past but if he beats you in a race, digging up his past and trying to condemn him in the court of public opinion is childish.
If you have overwhelming suspicion that a Masters athlete is cheating,send your proof to officials who can check it out and eliminate him if he is found guilty.
This infraction happend over five years ago and is old news. If she is clean and learned from her two year ban and wants to run Masters track, we should not all try to make her feel uncomfortable just because she beat you.
If she is officially found dirty, I will cast the first stone
Very good point Nolan. I’m not going to throw any stones though. I would just hope they will have learned something. Like you said it was a long time ago, old news.
Let her compete, and let her get tested. If she comes out clean, leave her the heck alone.
She was caught one month after lecturing kids ?? This is the height of arrogance ! She knew exactly wat she was doing. I wouldn’t let her compete in any masters meet without a drug test.
The world records in my event in several age groups were all held for many years by a graduate of the old East German program. He probably wasn’t doping when he set his records, but his many years of training with drugs no doubt stood him in good stead, psychologically as well as physically, all those years later. Does it bother me? Not at all. They’re only medals, after all.
Testing for drugs in veterans’ competition is a pointless expense.
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