PARIS, 10 September 2003 — World 100 meters and 200m champion Kelli White has been found guilty of doping, the sport’s world governing body IAAF announced yesterday and if their findings are supported by a hearing by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) faces being stripped of her gold medals.

An IAAF spokesman said they had not accepted the 26-year-old American’s explanation as to why she took the stimulant Modafinil. If the USADA disagrees with the IAAF decision the case will probably end up in the Court for Sports Arbitration (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

It was at CAS last November that the IAAF lost a case brought against the American federation USATF which forbids them from publicizing the names of American athletes who failed drugs tests between 1996-2000.

White, who became the first athlete since disgraced East German sprinter Katrin Krabbe in 1991 to do the sprint double, had said she took the product for a sleeping sickness, narcolepsy.

She had not listed it on the medicines she was taking because she didn’t take it all the time and that it wasn’t on the banned list.

However the IAAF called it into question under the ‘related substances’ list — whereby it is related to banned substances — and asked her for a further explanation.

“The IAAF can confirm that we received the athletes explanation for doping positive for Modafinil at the world championships in Paris and following examination of it has not accepted it,” IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said.

“In accordance with the IAAF’s usual disciplinary procedures the matter is now referred to our member federation US Track and Field (USATF) who will hold a hearing on a date to be agreed with the athlete.”

The USATF has delegated responsibility for the conduct of the hearing into doping cases to USADA. Davies added that White wouldn’t be suspended during the process of the hearing and would keep her medals until the Americans announced their decision.

“The IAAF can confirm if it is confirmed after the hearing that the athlete has committed a doping offense the proper sanction under IAAF rules will be a public warning and disqualification from the entire competition. “The athlete is not suspended during the procedure.”

White, who also stands to lose her $120,000 prizemoney from the championships, said last week in Brussels she would fight to keep her medals which probably will lead to her lawyers contesting the decision.

“I do intend to fight to keep my medals,” she had said earlier. “I’m disappointed about losing my medals. I worked the whole season for it. My reputation has been tarnished.”