It is the International Athletics Federation's penalty body Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, which announces that their suspicions of doping offenses by 400 m runner Salwa Eid Naser were rejected by an independent panel that acquits the 22-year-old who was suspected of having three misses in his stay reporting, which is a doping offense which, among others, Meraf Bahta was convicted of.
According to the regulations, three mistakes in the stay reporting within one year can lead to a two-year suspension, the minimum penalty is one year.
Eid Naser, born in Nigeria but competing in Bahrain, had his misses on March 12 and 16, 2019 and January 24, 2020, making three misses in less than a year.
But the test on March 16 is technically counted as the beginning of the quarter, ie on January 1.
This means that the three missed tests count for just over a year and are therefore not punishable.
A fourth test was also on the table
In addition, there is a fourth suspected case regarding Eid Naser's stay reporting, something that happened on April 12, 2019. However, the doping hunter could not get hold of Eid Naser after a series of misunderstandings about telephone number and address in his hometown Riffa.
The AIU wanted to count it as a miss but the independent panel dismissed it.
When the case became public in June, Eid Naser, who has been suspended since then, shrugged and said it could happen to anyone.
- I've never been a cheater and never will be.
I only missed three tests, which is normal, that's what happens, she said in a video on her website.
She now has to keep the World Cup gold from Doha last year when she won the 400 meters in 48.14, the third fastest time of all time.
And can concentrate on the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.
AIU has 30 days to appeal the acquittal to the arbitral tribunal Cas.
It must now be decided.