Salwa Eid Naser’s missed drug tests and Sri Lanka’s missed medal

Nadeesha Ramanayake, Dilshi Kumarasinghe, Upamalika Ratnakumari and Nimali Liyanarachchi joined to establish a national record but that feat was not enough to win a medal as Salwa Eid Naser stunned them in the final lap.

by Reemus Fernando

When it comes to gold medal winners at last year’s Asian Athletics Championships, no name rings louder than that of the Bahrain sprinter Salwa Eid Naser for Sri Lanka women’s 4x400metres relay quartet who established a new national record in Doha. Despite breaking the national record held by legendary athlete Damayanthi Dharsha and co, the team, inclusive of Nadeesha Ramanayake, Dilshi Kumarasinghe, Upamalika Ratnakumari and Nimali Liyanarachchi, had to settle for the fourth place. After being in contention for a medal for a better part of the relay, Sri Lanka were stunned in the last lap by the sprinting prowess of Nigerian born Salwa Eid Naser who anchored the Bahrain team to gold. A few months later the Bahrain athlete stunned the Olympic gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo in one of the biggest upsets at the World Championships at the same venue. However later it came to light that she was under investigation for missing drug tests when she competed at the World Championships.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) last month said that the charges against Naser for missed tests and filing failures were dismissed by an independent tribunal. But the women’s 400-meter world champion faces new legal case that could see her banned before the Tokyo Olympics. In an event of her being slapped with a ban, the athletes who had been beaten by Naser for medals would seek an upgrade to the colours of their medals.

Track and field’s Athletics Integrity Unit said it appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a decision last month to close the case against Naser. She has been charged with breaking anti-doping rules and could be slapped with a two year ban. Her anti doping rules violation is a whereabouts, which constitutes of any combination of three missed tests or filing failures in a 12-month period, according to the World Athletics anti-doping rules.

The particular 12 month period includes the Asian Athletics Championship 2019.

Naser won three golds at the Asian Athletics Championship including a championship record of 22.74 seconds in winning the 200 metres. She clocked 51.34 seconds to win the 400 metres.

Sri Lanka were shocked in the women’s 4×400 metres final. After a strong start by Nadeesha Ramanayake, Dilshi Kumarasinghe powered Sri Lanka to the second place leaving Ratnakumari and Liyanarachchi to battle it out in the last two laps. By the time Liyanarachchi took the baton Sri Lanka were still in contention for a medal and Bahrain were trailing in the fourth place. Official statistics showed Naser running sub 50 seconds in the final lap to overtake Sri Lanka, Japan and India to win her third gold.

When Naser beat Olympic gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo at the World Championships 2019, she produced 48.14 seconds, the fastest time of the 400 metres since 1985 and the third fastest all time.