Sarah Storey was granted a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) after submitting an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for salbutamol during the 2012 Paralympics.

The Times (opens in new tab) revealed on Monday that Britain's most successful Paralympian exceeded the limit for the asthma drug in a sample taken after winning the first of four gold medals in her hometown of London.

However, she was not informed of this fact until a week later, on September 7.

Story then applied for a retroactive TUE through the British Paralympic Association (BPA), which was approved by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Story's lawyer confirmed to The Times that she returned the adverse analytical findings, explaining that she used a salbutamol inhaler after experiencing "breathing difficulties."

She had just won gold in the C5 category of the 3 km individual pursuit and was about to give a media interview after capturing Poland's Anna Halkowska in just over half of a short, one-sided final.

Ethical concerns surrounding TUEs and the use of asthma medications were thrust into the spotlight in 2016 when the Fancy Bears leaked medical data on a number of athletes, later becoming part of a UK Parliamentary inquiry into doping in sport.

According to The Times, an independent observer for the World Anti-Doping Agency raised concerns at the time, suggesting that Storey should have been "required to undergo a pharmacokinetic study to explain the AAF and thus allow the IPC to properly resolve the case."

However, a BPA spokesman told The Telegraph: "We are confident that the correct procedures were followed at the time, and we have all the relevant supporting documentation."

Storrie also stated that "the AAF was not required to take any action against the AAF.

"It is important to emphasize that athletes, like everyone else, have a duty of confidentiality regarding their medical records. This is made clear in the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, the International Paralympic Committee Anti-Doping Code, and the agreed standards in medical practice.

Salbutamol is not a prohibited substance unless more than 1600 micrograms are ingested within 24 hours; samples containing more than 1000 ng/l of salbutamol will trigger an AAF.

Chris Froome exceeded the latter limit during a test at the 2017 Vuelta a España, but claimed she stayed within the allowable amount, and the charges were eventually dropped by the UCI and WADA. In Story's case, she admitted that she had exceeded the dosage, but then apparently succeeded in demonstrating medical necessity.

The lack of pharmacokinetic studies mirrors Froome's case, as it was recently revealed that UCI president David Lapartiento raised concerns to WADA that Froome, a four-time Tour de France winner, had not been tested to replicate the conditions of salbutamol absorption.

Having already won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and five swimming titles before that, Storey won three more gold medals in Rio, becoming Britain's most successful female Paralympian.

Now 43, she is expected to go to her eighth Games in Toyko this summer, hoping to win more gold medals.