WORLD ATHLETICS HAS belatedly revealed that Bahrain could only send a maximum of 10 athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a part of a punishment for ‘serious anti-doping rule violations’.
The penalties, which were made public for the first time on Thursday, are the result of an 18-month investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit into the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA), which led to charges in December 2023.
The AIU opened their investigation following the Tokyo Olympics where there were “serious anti-doping rule violations committed by two [Bahrain] athletes… for homologous blood transfusions”.
The BAA had also “engaged a coach to work with the national team between 2019 and 2021 who was in fact banned from sport for anti-doping rule violations”.
The BAA accepted the charges against it, as well as penalties including a 10-athlete limit at the 2024 Olympics and at the 2025 World Championships; a ban on recruiting foreign athletes or applying for transfers of allegiance until 2027; a commitment to spend up to €6.5 million ($7.3m) over four years on anti-doping measures; and the establishment and funding of an academy to prioritise the development of local athletes.
Bahrain sent eight track and field athletes to the Paris Olympics — none of whom were accused of any wrongdoing in this investigation — and won two medals: Winfred Yavi’s gold with a new Olympic record time in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, and Salwa Eid Naser’s silver in the women’s 400m.
Separate to this investigation, Naser served a two-year suspension from 2021 to 2023 for drug-testing whereabouts violations.
The 2019 world champion returned to action last year and insists that she is a clean athlete, describing her ban as “unfair”.
“My [missed] tests were never intentional,” she told The 42 after her silver medal win in Paris.
“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.”
What about sanctions for the serious nationality changes that happen with Bahrain athletes. Most of them were born and raised in East Africa.
@David: . Bahrain are not alone when it comes to athletes from other countries declaring for them. Peruth Chemutai was visibly very upset after the 3,000m steeplechase final. We all know why. Rashidat Adelike must be asking questions now.
Eid Naser ran her infamous 48.14 400m in 2019 under « that coach » . That time is obviously a fraud and should be struck from the record and the WC gold medal reattributed . Otherwise, it still pays to cheat
This is so not surprising. Sooner or later Rashida will get her bronze medal.
The process is ludicrous- either Bahrain is guilty of systematic doping and everyone is banned or nobody is banned: they can’t just choose the 10 athletes likely to win medals. Crazy.