Anti-doping charges against world 400m champion Naser dismissed

(Reuters) – World 400 metres champion Salwa Eid Naser has been cleared of committing an anti-doping rule violation after a World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal dismissed charges brought against her for registering four “whereabouts failures”.

The 22-year-old, who won gold at the World Championships in Doha last year was charged and provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in June.

According to World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, any combination of three whereabouts failures – filing failures or missed tests – within a 12-month period by an athlete constitutes an anti-doping violation.

Athletes guilty of whereabouts failures could face two-year bans or a minimum of one year depending on the degree of fault.

In Naser’s case, the disciplinary tribunal upheld three of the four AIU charges against her — a filing failure effective January 1, 2019, and two missed tests, on March 12 last year and January 24 this year.

However, the tribunal found in Naser’s favour with regard to a third alleged missed test on April 12, 2019, which resulted in the charges being dismissed because her three whereabouts failures did not occur within a 12-month rolling period.