Bulgaria's Gabriela Petrova Able to Compete After IAAF Revokes Ban

The rights of Bulgarian triple jumper Gabriela Petrova to participate in competitions have been restored.

This was stated in an official letter of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) on Monday, which revokes the temporary ban imposed on Petrova.

Her rights to compete were temporarily suspended at the beginning of April after a sample taken from the Bulgarian athlete in February tested positive for meldonium.

Meldonium was placed on the list of prohibited substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on January 1 this year.

The decision of IAAF to revoke the ban comes after an explanatory notice on meldonium issued by WADA last week.

In its statement, WADA notes that athletes who had tested positive for meldonium before March 1 and whose samples contain less than 1 microgramme of the substance may not face suspensions.

The investigation into Petrova's case is still ongoing and despite the revocation of the ban, the official results from the quantitative analysis of her sample are still not available.

According to specialists, the decision of IAAF can be interpreted as meaning that the Bulgarian is acquitted of the doping charge.

Petrova, who was declared Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year for 2015, admits to having taken meldonium in October last year, long before the substance was placed on the list of prohibited substances.