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In October 2020, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) disciplinary tribunal ruled that Naser had not committed an anti-doping rule violation in relation to an alleged filing failure and three missed tests between March 12 and April 12, 2019.

WADA and World Athletics subsequently filed appeals requesting that the tribunal’s decision be set aside and that it be replaced with a new decision in which the 2019 400m world champion is found to have committed an ADRV and sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility.

The parties were awaiting dates when CAS would hear the matter. Dr Emir Crowne, who along with Matthew Gayle and Kristie Irving of New City Chambers, confirmed to Sportsmax.TV those dates have now been set for the hearing that will be held virtually.

"While my preference would be for an open hearing, certain sensitive information about Ms Naser will be revealed and we have decided to not press for an open hearing. As the proceedings are closed, that's all I can reveal,” Dr Crowne said while confirming said dates.

Salwa Eid Naser, 22, won the world title in Doha in 48.14, the third-fastest time in history defeating heavy favourite Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who clocked a personal best 48.37 to claim the silver medal.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson was third in a personal best 49.47s

It subsequently came to light that Naser was competing in Doha, having missed three doping tests earlier that year and was not provisionally suspended. She also missed another test in January 2020.

If CAS overturns the initial ruling, the Bahrani athlete would miss this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

 Luguelin Santos, now 31 years old, had clinched the 400-metre gold at the 2012 World Junior Championships when he was just 18. However, the AIU's investigation exposed that Santos had utilized a passport with a manipulated birthdate, claiming to be born on November 12, 1993, when, in reality, his birthdate is November 12, 1992. Consequently, Santos was ineligible to participate in the 2012 World Juniors, as per the competition rules requiring junior athletes to be either 18 or 19 years old on December 31 of the competition year.

 The AIU, in a statement, clarified the gravity of the violation, stating, "Thus, he was ineligible to participate in the World Juniors 2012." The age-manipulation incident tarnished Santos's victory at the championship, leading to the unprecedented decision to strip him of the gold medal.

Santos, a two-time Youth Olympic champion, had furthered his career by claiming a silver medal in the 400m event at the 2012 London Olympics. However, Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, emphasized that unlike doping violations, age-manipulation sanctions do not warrant the annulment of Olympic results. Clothier explained, "There is no basis on which to annul his Olympic result as that was not an age-group event and no violation was committed there."

In October, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) disciplinary tribunal had ruled that Naser had not committed an anti-doping rule violation in relation to an alleged filing failure and missed tests. The tests were missed between March 12 and April 12, 2019.

In its appeal to the CAS, World Athletics requested that the AIU decision "be set aside and that it be replaced with a new decision in which the 2019 400m world champion is found to have committed an ADRV and sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility.

The athlete has retained the services of Dr Emir Crowne, Matthew Gayle and Kristie Irving of Trinidad-based New City Chambers, who confirmed that WADA had also appealed the ruling.

"I can confirm that WADA has launched a separate appeal against the decision of World Athletics' Disciplinary Tribunal in the Salwa Naser matter,” Dr Crowne told Sportsmax.TV.

“We will be asking that WADA's appeal be consolidated with World Athletics' appeal, and that the hearing be open to the public."

The Nigerian-born athlete who now competes for Bahrain ran the third fastest time in history while winning the 400m title in Doha. Only Marita Koch (47.60) and Jarmila Kratochvílová (47.99) have run faster than her 48.14. Naser also had a missed test against her name in January 2020, a strike that still stands.

The suspension arose from James-Rose missing out-of-competition tests within a 12-month period, leading to a violation of anti-doping regulations. However, the circumstances surrounding the missed tests are deeply personal and tied to her pregnancy, which required urgent medical attention during the times when doping control officers attempted to conduct tests.

The 27-year-old James-Rose was four months’ pregnant when she missed two of her three tests in June 2023.

In a candid interview, she took responsibility for not updating the World Anti-Doping Agency's Administration and Management System (ADAMS) with her whereabouts, attributing her oversight to the urgent health concerns related to her pregnancy. Reflecting on the challenging period, she emphasized her primary focus on ensuring her own well-being and that of her unborn child.

“I found myself in a situation where I had to be making trips to neighbouring states for emergency visits because of my pregnancy and, unfortunately, it happened on the two times when I was there. My husband’s father was here when they knocked on the door and I wasn’t here. It was like ‘why did it have to happen on the two days that I did a morning visit and not on Sunday or something like that,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

“Maybe they (AIU) said that I should have written a letter saying I was pregnant but in the moment, in the situation I wasn’t really thinking about track and field, I was thinking about my life and my child. It was my first pregnancy, I wanted to make sure I was okay, I wanted to make sure I was at those appointments because I was having one of those scary type of pregnancies. When things started to feel a little bit better about the pregnancy about August/September it had already gone bad.”

Her son was born in December 2023.

James-Rose, the 2016 World U20 400 champion, revealed the difficulties she encountered with immigration processes upon relocating to the United States, which coincided with her pregnancy. The unforeseen challenges delayed her return to competitive training and contributed to the administrative oversight that led to the whereabouts violation.

 “Before the pregnancy at the end of the 2022 season, I was in Oregon and shortly after that my husband (Jamari) filed for me so the migration process was taking place and, unfortunately, I had some problems with my documentation and when I arrived in the United States I was unable to travel so that was the first problem for me.

“I arrived in the United States at the end of August to sort out that and I was unable to travel until March the following year. During that time, I was working out, with the hope of going back to join the group at GC Foster. I was communicating with them. I was actively training at that time. When I was able to travel again I did visit Jamaica immediately and that was when I found out I was pregnant.”

Despite expressing a deep love for track and field, James-Rose is relishing the joys of motherhood and is uncertain about her future in competitive athletics. She is committed to making a decision about her career by the end of the current season, acknowledging the importance of mental and physical preparation regardless of her competitive status.

"I think I will have to make that decision by the end of this season (2024), because even though I can't compete, I want to get my mind and body ready," James-Rose stated.

“I can’t really say for sure. I am extremely happy. I am loving it (motherhood). Track and field is my first love but I think I have found true love and right now I am just living in the moment of motherhood and just enjoying the moments with my son and my husband for now. I mean, the suspension ends in November of 2025 so time will tell, I don’t know for sure what my decision will be.

“It’s (track and field) something I would love my son to grow and see me doing so it’s definitely a decision to be made.”

The determination to return to competitive athletics hinges on her motivation and drive, factors that James-Rose will assess carefully as she navigates this pivotal juncture in her career.

As James-Rose contemplates her future, her ultimate wish is for her son to witness her accomplishments in track and field. However, she remains grounded in the present, prioritizing her role as a mother while keeping the door open to a potential return to competitive sport.