In August 2019 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete Michelle-Lee Ahye from Trinidad and Tobago for her whereabouts filing failures and 3 missed test within 12 months. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in her defence and she was heard for the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal.
Regarding the 3rd missed test in April 2019 the Doping Control Officer (DCO) reported that on 19 April 2019 he tried to contact the Athlete at her property. He rang the bell and knocked repeatedly and he rang the two number he had been provided without success.
The Athlete did not contest the missed tests in June 2018 and in February 2019 and sought to explain and to mitigate her fault by reference to the circumstances. However she contested the missed test in April 2019 and confirmed that the was indeed at the address as indicated in her whereabouts. She explained that in her building the doorbell to her apartment could not be heard on the second or third stories of the apartment and needed an electrical repair.
The Panel accepts the DCO’s evidence and rejects the Athlete’s explanation for why she did not hear the DCO’s attempt to contact her on 19 April 2019. She didn’t provide a consistent explanation about the doorbell, nor did she provide an explanation for why she didn’t hear or answer her phone.
The Panel concludes that the Athlete was negligent in respect of the missed test in April 2019 while she already had 2 previous missed tests within the previous 12 months. The Panel considers that the second missed test was not contested by the Athlete and she apparently gave an untrue explanation for the first missed test.
Therefore the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal decides on 7 January 2020 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the third missed test, i.e. on 19 April 2019.