Spanish runner Mohamed Katir has been banned for four years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for falsifying documents during an investigation into his whereabouts failures for which he was already suspended for two years earlier this year.
Katir had admitted to three whereabouts failures during 2023.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s “whereabouts” rule, all athletes must make themselves available to drug testers for one hour a day for out-of-competition testing.
Under the World Athletics anti-doping rules, three whereabouts failures within 12 months result in a rule violation.
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The 26-year-old, who won the silver medal in the 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships last year, will serve both bans concurrently, extending his ineligibility to compete until February 2028.
“Katir ... was found to have falsified travel documents [namely a travel itinerary, boarding pass and booking confirmation] in an attempt to mislead investigators,” said the AIU.
However, the disciplinary tribunal that ruled in the case denied the AIU’s request to have Katir’s results disqualified from March 9th, 2023, because he had not benefited from a competitive advantage, the statement added.
“The vast majority of our elite athletes respect the strict rules and processes of the sport and they should take heart at the action being taken to ensure a level playing field,” said AIU chief Brett Clothier. — Reuters
