Russia’s European Champ fails doping test

Russia's middle-distance runner Anna Alminova has failed a doping test at the indoor world athletics championships, which took place in Doha, Qatar, in the middle of March.

Local media said that the samples Alminova gave for testing after a preliminary 1500m heat contained the banned substance pseudoephedrine.

The substance presumably got into the athlete’s blood with a medicine Alminova has been taking for the last few years. However, the athlete and her trainer faced no problems with doping control before 2010 as it has been only four months since pseudoephedrine was included in the prohibited substances list.

Alminova’s side claim they simply had not been informed at the time. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) took the excuse into consideration, and decided to suspend Alminova for just three months starting from April 9 due to this mitigating circumstance.

The ruling means the 2009 European Indoor Champion will be able to return to professional sport in July.