Javier Sanchez
Updated Wednesday, February 7, 2024-13:22
This winter
Mo Katir
was flying. "He is doing his best concentration in Sierra Nevada," warned those who know him. This same Wednesday, in Valencia, he was going to attack the European record for the 5,000 meters indoors. But an announcement surprised this Tuesday: Katir was giving up the indoor World Cup in Glasgow. Other years he had already avoided running indoors, he had reserved it for the summer, but this season it was strange, with such good form. The truth is that he was obliged. This Wednesday, the International Athletics Federation (World Athletics) suspended the current best Spanish distance runner for skipping three anti-doping controls in the last 12 months.
Katir will not be able to run in the coming weeks and, according to World Athletics rules, he could be out of work for two years if his appeal is not successful. He was the best option for Spanish athletics for the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and now his participation is in question.
Katir himself announced his punishment with a statement in which he wanted to defend his innocence and announced that he has already submitted a response. "I consider that there is no violation arising from three location failures in the last twelve months. In some of the location failures reported by AIU, I was available at the place, date and times provided by me. During the last months and for years I have been subjected to a large number of out-of-competition doping controls, both in urine and blood samples, without the slightest problem having arisen on my part," he commented in a writing in which he also made a clarification public: "It is important to keep in mind that we are not facing a file of violation of doping rules for the use of prohibited substances, or even for evading doping controls outside of competition."