We were few and... Today, February 7, 2024, the news that no one wanted to hear has broken. Mo Katir, one of the great icons of Spanish athletics, has been provisionally suspended for skipping three anti-doping controls. As reported by the athlete through his representative, Miguel Ángel Mostaza, Katir had been untraceable on three occasions, which represents a violation of the world anti-doping code.
Katir, who this afternoon was going to participate in the Valencia International Grand Prix where he was going to attempt the European record of 5000 meters on short track, will appeal the sanction alleging a defect in form in the notice of the second lack of location, but It remains to be seen if the deadlines for that appeal are correct.
This is a situation that Adel Mechal already experienced in 2017, who was sanctioned for 15 months for not communicating his whereabouts on 3 occasions and who finally saw how said sanction was annulled through the CAS, alleging failures in the Adams application, the program that athletes use to always be located.
The sanction has been communicated to the athlete and the corresponding federative organizations by the Athletics Integrity Unit, an organization dependent on WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM MO KATIR
Today Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has informed me of a provisional suspension due to what it considers a violation of the rules derived from three location failures in the last twelve months (whereabouts).
During the disciplinary procedure, AIU has agreed to my provisional suspension. Since I do not agree with the aforementioned decision adopted by AIU, I am prepared to appeal it to the corresponding authorities to be able to compete during the processing of the procedure.
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. Over the last few months and years I have been subjected to a large number of out-of-competition doping controls in both urine and blood samples, without the slightest problem on my part.
It is important to keep in mind that we are not dealing with a case of violating doping rules for the use of prohibited substances or methods, or even for evading out-of-competition doping controls. This is a simple file derived from the completion of location data on the ADAMS platform that could generate location errors (whereabouts).
I am going to proceed to defend myself in the appropriate instances, as it cannot be otherwise. Therefore, I request that the right to the presumption of my innocence be respected until the corresponding procedure is processed and concluded.