Naser said To be frank, I never expected that fast time in Doha 2019
DOHA, QATAR - OCTOBER 03: Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain celebrates winning the Women's 400 Metres final during day seven of 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at Khalifa International Stadium on October 03, 2019 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for IAAF)

Eight-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson has argued for longer bans for missed tests.

Speaking days after it emerged Bahraini’s World 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser has missed three tests in the 12 months before winning the world 400m title last year and another in January, he wrote on Twitter:

“I believe the sport can legally increase the punishment for missed tests,” said Johnson, the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games 200/400 champion.

Johnson, who also won the 400m title at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, continued: “Increase the punishment to 4 years, and you’ll see fewer missed tests.”

“Two (2 years) gives the presumption of innocence already. Maybe it’s not labelled as equal to positive, but the punishment should be,” said the eight-time World champion.


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20 COMMENTS

  1. Four years for missed tests is an overkill, especially because the administrators sometimes don’t even know what they are doing, as we say in the Coleman case.

  2. I am for whatever it takes to keep the sport clean. I however want to see this punishment applied equally and not allow some athletes to escape with flimsy technicalities.

  3. It depend on the reasons and circumstances for missing tests.. If the assessment is done fairly and length of ban given accordingly then I’m all for it.

  4. Michael Johnson needs to sit down. Everyone wants to blow their own horn now. Where was he when all those American athletes were getting caught? Just shut up!

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