JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
An athlete who admitted cheating by running South Africa's Comrades Marathon in
relay with his brother, became the third runner disqualified from this year's race.
Their plan was foiled only because photographs showed ninth placed finisher Sergio Motsoeneng wearing different
watches at various stages of the race.
Two other runners who finished in second and sixth places in the June 16 race were earlier disqualified after returning
positive dope tests.
After the Johannesburg daily newspaper Beeld published pictures showing Motsoeneng wearing two different watches
at different stages of the race, Motsoeneng's lawyer contact the race's Jury of Appeal chairperson Cheryll Winn
admitting that he had cheated.
Motsoeneng had run the race as a relay with his older brother Sefako and "finished" in 5 hours 40 minutes 20
seconds.
Former gold medallist Nick Bester, who finished 15th, was the first to raise the alarm, but after investigating time
sheets and the results of the computer timing system, the race referees initially cleared Motsoeneng of cheating.
Bester's team mate Nic Schalkwyk appealed against the decision and soon afterwards the photographic evidence
became available.
"If it wasn't for the fact that he made a mistake with the watches, he probably would have got away with it," Winn
admitted. "That's really scary."
Motsoeneng met with Winn to protest his innocence but with evidence mounting against him,
he was advised by his lawyer to own up.
The only similar case previously recorded was that of Herman Matthee, who was caught out by race referees in 1991
after starting the race 30km from the finish of the 90km route.
"We'll have to start DNA testing every 10 kilometers, it's getting so ridiculous," Winn said. "But maybe this will have a
cleansing effect on the race, because he got caught."
Motsoeneng, who had inherited the novice trophy after Russian Viktor Zhadanov was disqualified, has already made
arrangements to return the trophy.
"Apparently he's already spent the money," Winn said.
Two weeks ago it was announced that Zhadanov had been disqualified for testing positive for the stimulant
Ephredrine, while Motsoeneng's team mate Rasta Mohloli returned a positive test for the steroid Nandrolone.
The triple disqualifications have made it the worst controversy to hit the 74-year-old race.
This year's event was won by Pole Jaroslaw Janicki in 5:30.10.
