The South African women's record holder over 100 metres, Carina Horn, is back on the athletics track after two years.

She got suspended in September 2019 after testing positive for the prohibited substances, Ibutamoren (growth hormone) and LGD-4033. Horn vowed to prove her innocence, claiming the supplements that she used were contaminated. 

She asked a scientist to assist her in proving what she said was true. It turned out to be a good decision, as the World Athletics' Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) accepted his findings. Furthermore, it enabled the Tuks based sprinter to plea bargain. According to Horn, she was prepared to accept a two-year suspension. 

"I know it is my responsibility to make sure that the supplements I use are not contaminated. So my advice to any young athlete is when in doubt, rather don't use anything. It is not worth it." 

The World Athletics medical tribunal finally decided to suspend Horn for two years and not four, backdating it to the day she tested positive. It means from Monday, she is eligible to compete and train again. 

"I feel like a 'newborn baby' who has got to relearn how to train," is how Horn described how it felt to be back on an athletics track. 

The Tuks based athlete does not want to speculate as to when she might start racing again.

"At the moment, I feel quite sluggish and 'heavy' when running. It is going to take some time to get my body back to 'normal'. Therefore, I will only decide when I will start racing by the end of December or January. I will definitely not do so if I don't feel I am at the top of my game. From now on, every time I line up to compete, I want to make it count." 

Despite often feeling down and out over the last two years, Horn said she is also grateful in a way. 

"When I train, there is never any half measures. It is about giving 100% sometimes for up to eight hours a day. Of course, it meant my body took some strain. My body now had some time to recover as I only trained in the gym and in my garden.

"From an emotional perspective, the last two years had been tough. There were many an evening that I could not stop myself from crying as it felt as if I was fighting a losing battle. But now that I am back on the track running again, I am glad that I did not just give up." 

Within five days in August, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran times of 10.54s and 10.60s in the 100 metres. It is the second and third fastest time on the World Athletics ranking list. It is one of the reasons why Horn is excited that she can race again. 

"Theirs are genuinely world-class performances. I am inspired by Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce's performance as she is 32, the same age as I am. Hopefully, I also got one or two good races to run," said Horn, who has got a personal best time of 10.98s to her name. 

The last time she raced was 1 September 2019 in Switzerland. She finished fourth.