The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overruled decisions by Spanish athletics federation on Wednesday, upholding the two-year ban on the country's hurdler Josephine Onyia for doping.
The Nigerian-born 23-year-old athlete tested positive for the substance methylhexaneamine at a meeting in Lausanne in September 2008 and for the anabolic agent clenbuterol at the world athletics final later in Stuttgart, according to the CAS.
In both cases, however, the Spanish federation exonerated Onyia of any offence, said the CAS, prompting an appeal from the sport's governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
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The sport's highest tribunal, said the ban started from September 22 this year but that Onyia would be given credit for the 316 days of provisional suspension already served and the two violations would be considered as a single offence.
Onyia won the 100 metres hurdles at the Stuttgart meeting.