FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Scott Keenan, executive director
(218) 727-0947 (work)
(218) 343-0792 (cell)
2006 Grandma's Marathon Women's Division Champion Disqualified,
Banned Due To Positive Drug Test
Duluth, Minn.: Grandma's Marathon received confirmation from the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that Halina
Karnatsevich, the 2006 women's division champion, tested positive for a
banned substance at Grandma's Marathon on June 17. The positive test will
result in the immediate disqualification of Karnatsevich from the race. The
36-year-old from Belarus will receive a two-year ban from competition.
Grandma's Marathon withheld Karnatsevich's $8,000 first-place prize purse,
pending the results of the USA Track and Field-administered drug test.
Second-place finisher Svetlana Nekhorosh, 32, of the Ukraine will be
declared the women's champion of the 2006 race and will receive the
first-place prize purse. In addition, those athletes finishing in places
three through eleven will move up one place in the official results and
will be awarded additional prize money.
"It has always been the policy of Grandma's Marathon to work closely with
the governing bodies of our sport. Drug testing has been conducted at our
race in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2006, and we will continue to encourage USA
Track and Field to include Grandma's Marathon in its schedule for drug
testing in the future," says Scott Keenan, executive director of Grandma's
Marathon.
Revised 2006 Grandma's Marathon Women's Top Ten Results and Prize Money
Place Name Home Time Award
1st Svetlana Nekhorosh Ukraine 2:37:33 $8,000
2nd Maria Portilla Peru 2:38:20 $6,500
3rd Mary Akor Gardena, CA 2:39:42 $5,000
4th Elena Orlova Russia 2:40:25 $4,000
5th Veena Reddy Philadelphia, PA 2:41:29 $3,500
6th Kasie Enman Huntington, VT 2:44:06 $3,000
7th Jenna Darcy Philadelphia, PA 2:44:15 $2,500
8th Zinaida Semenova Russia 2:44:54 $2,000
9th Cassandra Henkiel Austin, TX 2:44:55 $1,000
10th Gwen Greiner Seattle, WA 2:45:11 $500
For more information on anti-doping procedures and a list of banned
athletes log on to www.usatf.com or www.iaaf.org.
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