Athletics-Ecuadorian sprinter Quinonez banned for a year for whereabouts failures

(Reuters) - Ecuador's 200 metres sprinter Alex Quinonez was handed a 12-month ban for whereabouts failures which constitute an anti-doping violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Wednesday.

Quinonez, who won the bronze medal at the 2019 world championships in Doha, had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics but was provisionally suspended last month and referred to the AIU's Disciplinary Tribunal.

The AIU said Quinonez admitted an anti-doping violation for three missed tests between June last year and May this year.

According to World Athletics rules, any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period by an athlete constitutes a whereabouts failure violation.

"A period of 12 months ineligibility is imposed... to run from the date of the provisional suspension, viz 25 June 2021 and end at 23:59 on 24 June 2022," the AIU ruled.

Quinonez's results from May 19 to June 25 were also disqualified. The AIU added that he had the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)