Paris (AFP)

Jean-Michel Serra, doctor of the French team of athletics and companion of Ophélie Claude-Boxberger, positive control at the EPO in September, estimated Friday "plausible" the alibi of the French athlete according to which a his relatives would have inoculated the doping product without his knowledge, in an interview with L'Équipe.

"Yes, it may be plausible," says Serra, a few days after Alain Flaccus, the companion of the mother of the 3,000-meter steeplechase specialist, confessed in custody to having injected erythropoietin, while runner would have fallen asleep after a massage.

"A subcutaneous injection, in a gluteal area, it can go almost unnoticed," says Serra.

"From his first statement, the day we were challenged, Ophélie talked about this evening where something had stung him during a massage," he continues, which would attest to the version put forward by Flaccus.

If the facts are confirmed, it could allow the 31 year old athlete, who claims his innocence, to escape punishment.

A source close to the case had however called last Friday to "caution", considering the assumption that Alain Flaccus, who is part of the coaching Claude-Boxberger, "sacrifices himself", "the only way for her to get by "and avoid an ineluctable suspension of four years.

The doctor was also pinned in June for worrying the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) about the number of controls Claude-Boxberger had undergone, without informing his superiors.

"Given the altitude training mode (...), its generalized weaknesses and their potential hematological repercussions, it seemed (to me) legitimate to discuss with a doctor a medical case and then, the AFLD does what she wants with that, there is no question of stopping control, "defends Serra.

The announcement of this positive check triggered a storm warning on the French Athletics Federation (FFA), already weakened by poor results at the Doha Worlds (2 medals), a clan war and a succession of scandals related to the doping (Clemence Calvin and Morhad Amdouni cases).

The sentimental relationship of the athlete with Jean-Michel Serra had only amplified the scandal, leading the AFLD to report the facts to the Paris prosecutor, who opened a preliminary investigation on October 14.

These new revelations did not extinguish the procedure opened by the AFLD, which continues to carry out its investigation prior to the referral to the sanctions commission.

© 2019 AFP