Three Bahrain athletes were already banned for 4 years , will Naser be the fourth ?
Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said that Bahrain’s World Champion 400m runner Salwa Eid Naser who was provisionally banned on Friday, had missed four doping tests, including one in 2020, and not three as she has claimed.
AIU statement in the matter concerning Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain.
The media article relating to the public comments made by the athlete can be found here ⬇️https://t.co/2F1U8qigeB pic.twitter.com/kJjj4a5Z6D
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) June 7, 2020
“The investigation into Ms Naser’s three whereabouts failures in 2019 was ongoing at the time of the Doha World Championships and she was not provisionally suspended at that time. Following conclusion of the investigation and a fourth whereabouts failure in January 2020, a notice of charge was issued and Ms Naser subject to an immediate provisional suspension. The disciplinary process is ongoing and AIU will not comment further on the matter at this stage,” a statement from AIU stated last evening.
Earlier on Saturday Naser said she has never been a cheat and missing three drug tests is normal, on an instagram live video.
The 22-year-old Nigerian born Bahrain sprinter upset former world champion Shaunae Miller Uibo of the Bahamas to win the 2019 World Championship 400m in Qatar, clocking the third fastest time in history – 48.14 seconds.
AIU announced that Salwa Eid Naser will be provisionally banned, pending inquiry into her whereabouts violation. She will be a facing two year ban if the inquiry results in a guilty verdict.
“I’ve never been a cheat and I will never be. I only missed three drug tests, which is normal. It happens and it can happen to anybody. I don’t want people to get confused in all this because I would never cheat,” said Naser in an emotional live video.
“Hopefully, it’ll get resolved because I don’t really like the image, but it has happened. It’s going to be fine. It’s very hard to have this little stain on my name. I would never take performance-enhancing drugs. I believe in talent, and I know I have the talent,” added Naser.
Naser also claimed that the three missed drug tests came prior to her World Championship victory.
“This year I have not been drug tested. We are still talking about the ones of last season before the World Championships,” said Naser.
Her time of (48.14) is the fastest for 34 years behind East German’s Marita Koch (47.60) in 1985, and the Czech Republic’s Jarmila Kratochvilova (47.99 sec) in 1983. Although both of them haven’t been tested positive, their performance always cast doubt due to the State sponsored drugs scandal in Eastern Germany and Eastern Europe in the 70s and 80s.
Naser who was born in Ambra State in Nigeria, moved to Bahrain as a teenager and represented Bahrain beginning with Youth Championships. She commenced her career by winning Silver at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014, and followed it up by winning Gold at both the Asian Youth Championship as well as the World Youth Championship in 2015. She has been a prolific runner in the last few years with two World Championship medals and a Diamond League Championship under her belt.
She was also the main reason many Asian athletes missed out from a podium place in Asian competitions. In the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta she won two Gold medals – 400m and 4x100m – while finishing second in the 4x400m. At the Asian Championship 2019 she finished with four Gold medals – 200m, 400m, 4x400m mix relay and 4x400m relay – while finishing third in the 4x100m relay.
Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser (left) goes past India’s V. K. Vismaya (right) to win 4x400m Gold medal in the Asian Championship 2019. Also in the picture Sri Lanka anchor leg runner Nimali Liyanarachchi (centre) who finished fourth.
The Sri Lankan team comprising Nadeesha Ramanayaka, Dilshi Kumarasinghe , Upamalika Rathnakumari and Nimali Liyanarachchi finished fourth at the Asian Championship 2019 setting a new Sri Lanka record, and only missed out from a podium finish due to Naser’s incredible last leg, which came within the 12 months period where she had missed three drug tests.
This is the fourth recent case where Bahrain’s elite female runners’ have been accused of doping violations, the others being Kenyan born Olympic 3000m steeple chase Gold medalist Ruth Jabet, Kenyan born Asian Games Gold medalist and World Championship Bronze medalist (Marathoner) Eunich Kirwa, and Nigerian born Asian Games double Gold medalist (400m, 400m hurdles) as well as World Indoor Champion in 2016 Kemi Adekoya, who was banned for four years due to doping violations.
Kemi Adekoya was the first to break Damayanthi Darsha’s 400m Asian Games record in 2014. Adekoya was also part of the 2018 Asian Games 4x400m and 4x400m mix relay teams.
