IAAF drags Onyia to CAS

Last season, Nigerian born Spanish hurdler, Josephine Nkiruka Onyia was flying in the grand Prix circuit. From Oslo to Lausanne to Berlin she was the new kid on the block. She won the 100m hurdles in last year's Golden League meetings in Oslo and Berlin.

Then, all of a sudden, news came out that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) want the 22-year-old runner banned for two years for allegedly returning two positive tests in post-race doping controls last year.

The Spanish Athletics Federation disputed the test results and refused to punish her in both cases.The federation exonerated her after a positive test for an unnamed stimulant following an event in Lausanne on September 2 and for a banned anabolic agent - believed to be Clenbuterol - after winning the 100-metre hurdles at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany, on September 13.

Clenbuterol is regarded by the World Anti-Doping Agency as an anabolic agent. Its deliberate use carries a two-year suspension. It is commonly given to horses to treat respiratory problems, but is also used as a weight-loss drug which builds muscle while burning fat.

Now, the IAAF has filed appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the two decisions taken by the Spanish Athletics Federation. The court said it hoped to give a ruling within four months.