BAHRAIN’S SALWA EID NASER insists she is a clean athlete and believes it is unfair that she served a two-year ban for drug-testing whereabouts violations before returning to the sport to win an Olympic silver medal in tonight’s 400m final in Paris.
Her presence on the Olympic podium behind Marileidy Paulino and ahead of third-placed Natalia Kaczmarek meant Rhasidat Adeleke finished fourth and missed out on a medal.
Naser served a two-year ban from June 2021 to February 2023 having been charged with missing four anti-doping tests between 1 January 2019 and 24 January 2020.
The World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal initially dismissed Naser’s provisional two-year ban, finding that one of the four missed tests was because the doping control officer went to the wrong address. They further ruled that the other three missed tests did not constitute a violation as they did not fall within a 12-month period.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration of Sport, who ruled in Wada’s favour and imposed a two-year ban on Naser.
Naser argued that the filing of her whereabouts were not her reponsibility, and instead were to be filed by her federation. CAS ruled that Naser’s “whole approach to the whereabouts requirements was seriously and inexcusably irresponsible”, and said that the “fault for this blow to her career is no-one’s but hers”.
“She attempted to escape the consequences of her actions by giving evidence which this panel found to be untruthful,” added the panel.
“Such an approach from a top-level athlete is seriously undermining of the whole anti-doping program and is sanctioned accordingly.”
Her gold medal at the 2019 World Championship, secured with the third-fastest time in history, was allowed to stand.
Having served her ban, Naser returned to the sport and won a silver medal on the track tonight in 48.53, her fastest time since being banned.
“First of all, I want to thank God for this medal,” said Naser. “Being on the podium after serving a ban and passing all of my tests, I really don’t have anything to prove to anyone because I am going to be tested after this [press] conference.”
Asked by The 42 whether it was fair on the other athletes in the field that she was allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics, Naser said, “My [missed] tests were never intentional. I would never want to miss a drug test as I really don’t have anything to hide. They were never intentional but they were mistakes a normal human being can make.
“What I think is not being fair is me being banned because I did nothing. It was never intentional. Me being banned was unfair to me but I thank God I am here today.
“What is not being fair is me being banned.”
The 42 then asked bronze medal winner Kaczmarek whether it was fair that she had to compete against Naser.
“First of all,” she said through a translator, “all was fair in this competition and they were just faster than I was. Perhaps Salwa had some problems, but now everything is okay. She is clean and I basically don’t see the problem.”
Later, Naser was asked by another journalist if she felt unfairly targeted by our questions.
“I should have been congratulated first,” she said.
“This is a good moment for me. Asking me if it’s fair to other athletes, I have been tested so many times.
“Before the world championship in Doha, I was tested 20 times and the tests came back negative. Before and immediately after my race in Doha, I was tested. I would not say I was targeted but I would surely say there are favourites, and I may not be their favourite.
“But it’s okay. My talent can never be questioned because I will still be tested after this.”
Speaking to Irish reporters in the mixed zone after the race, Adeleke was asked if she had any thoughts on Naser’s presence in the race.
“No. Each athlete to their own, all I know is I do my very best. I train hard, I work hard and I hope every other athlete does the same.”
Fair enough questions
@Square: fair enough answers too. I like the way the she said twas God who got her there. Hallelujah
@WqM9AAv3: was God carrying a hypodermic?
Pathetic from the journal. Neither the time or the place to ask those questions. Just because adeleke finished fourth, trying to cast doubt on this athletes achievement in the press conference after the race. Very bad form.
Pity they don’t ask any of our own politicians “hard-hitting” questions like this
@JagTune: How is it pathetic? She is just back from serving a significant ban. Naturally, her first few races are going to be viewed with scepticism. When should they ask those questions? Now, if journalists keep casting doubts on her after multiple clean tests, then you may have a point.
@JagTune: What? All perfectly legitimate questions for a proven cheat.
Didn’t know it’s up to the national federation to advise Testing Aurhority of each athlete’s whereabouts. Fair enough. That said, when you know 3 misses will get you banned you surely raise stink with yr fed if ye’re notified of 1 or 2 missed tests. Between her and her fed, the only one who’s going to get banned is the individual. Can’t easily try to pass the buck like that to the fed.
@Brendan Griffin: it’s the athletes responsibility, they do it a quarter in advance, their home address, competition and training schedule and a 60 min slot each day they are available – hence why most do it at 6am/7am when they would be at home. Never been easier for them to do, so it’s no excuse – hence her two year ban was upheld.
Congratulations on winning the silver medal. So what if you have a shady past, everyone has one, there be no saints on psycho planet earth. As Willie shakes a spear once said, he’ll is empty – all the devils are here
@WqM9AAv3: What?
@orb7eckn: perhaps reading a second time will be beneficial : Congratulations on winning the silver medal. So what if you have a shady past, everyone has one, there be no saints on psycho planet earth. As Willie shakes a spear once said, hell is empty – all the devils are here
@WqM9AAv3: Not everyone has a shady past. Not everyone is a cheat. She was a cheat, no disputing that fact.
@James T.Kirk: every saint has a past and every sinner a future me thinks there James. She says she is clean, all her tests are clean. In the eyes of Wada and the Olympic testers she won the silver as a clean athlete tonight
@WqM9AAv3: I’m not likely to believe her if she’s already cheated. All athletes will say they are clean.
@James T.Kirk: if there wasn’t an Irish athlete in this race no one would give a toss about this silver medal here or that the silver medalist served a ban for doping. How many other medalists or athletics all across the Olympic Games have served bans in the past for doping?
@WqM9AAv3: so drugs ok in sport?
Should be tested immediately, looks like we might get another bronze after all
@Owen ODonoghue: ah stop Owen, didn’t she just say she was gonna be tested after the press conference.
@Owen ODonoghue: Owen, only a fool will dope in competition, the doping is done during training camps and allow the athlete improve their base performance.
Listening to her answers I’m inclined to believe her. But all that matters is she has served her time and has tested clean many times since her ban. So unless anyone has a reason to dispute this we should move on.
Adeleke is in a very strong group of athletes here.
4th was a good result considering that.
@Will Wheeler: Her Bulgarian coach before she won her world title in Yanko Bratanov had a reputation for doping his athletes which would have made her a person of significant interest to the WADA testing authorities at the time. There was a training camp in Azerbaijan b4 the WC where a significant increase in performance was observed. The out of competition testing tries to catch this type of cheating. You’re not tested that regularly but you must be available to be tested. Potentially the ones she missed were ones where she would have tested positive and got a life ban. Better to miss test and receive lesser ban in that case
@Michael Corkery: when she won the world championships in Doha in 2019, she at 48.18 took nearly a second of her PB. Only Eastern European athletes at the time of widespread doping there have run a 400m faster. There’s little doubt she used PED to achieve this improvement. She’s been possibly clean since then and her times have come back to more natural ‘ levels.