The Spanish anti-doping agency (CELAD) announced in a press release the arrival at its head of Silvia Calzón, former Secretary of State for Health during the Covid-19 pandemic, to replace José Luis Terreros, who is not even not mentioned in the text.
This dismissal of Terreros, whom the government had been calling on to resign since the beginning of January, comes a few weeks after virulent criticism from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“Very unusual measure”
On January 5, WADA criticized the management of CELAD and threatened Spanish sport with
“significant consequences”
if doping cases were not handled
“quickly and effectively”
.
“We are well aware of the deep problems in the fight against doping in Spain
,” declared its president, Witold Banka, saying he was
“disappointed with the level of cooperation from CELAD as we seek to improve the system for Spanish athletes »
.
The organization, based in Montreal, had pointed out
“persistent problems (...) including several questions relating to controls and results management”
.
She even indicated that she had
“taken a very unusual measure in 2023, by withdrawing”
from CELAD
“three cases of the athlete's biological passport”
, by
“entrusting them to the international federations concerned so that they can process them in their place”
.
An athlete's biological passport makes it possible to monitor various blood parameters over a long period of time and to identify potential violations of anti-doping rules.
“All these allegations are false”
“The fact that positive cases were not treated in a timely manner, despite WADA's regular monitoring, is unacceptable,”
Witold Banka further deplored, stressing that the Spanish agency was
“required to respect the highest standards.” higher in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code
.
WADA also specifies that its
“in-depth investigation”
into CELAD is still ongoing.
The day after WADA's press release, the Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD), which depends on the government, announced that it had transmitted to the judicial authorities the results of an investigation launched after a complaint about "
alleged irregularities in the use of public funds as well as in the control and sanction of doping by CELAD
.
And the head of the CSD had requested the resignation of José Luis Terreros due to
“the damage to the reputation of Spanish sport and our control system”
.
“All these allegations are false
,” CELAD then reacted.
According to the online sports media
Relevo
, CELAD took advantage of bureaucratic loopholes to conceal cases of doping.
Spain often accused of laxity
By appointing Silvia Calzón, the government of socialist Pedro Sánchez has therefore chosen a loyalist to take charge of the fight against doping.
This epidemiologist, aged 48,
“managed the worst moments of the pandemic between August 2020 and November 2023, during which she coordinated the vaccination campaign”
, highlights the press release from the anti-doping agency.
Spain has often been accused of laxity in the fight against doping in the past.
In 2016, WADA concluded that the country was not in compliance with its anti-doping code.
The president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco, himself recognized that Spain was
“a negative reference in terms of doping”
.
The
"Puerto affair"
of doping of cyclists by blood autotransfusion and the decision of the Spanish courts to destroy the seized blood bags have notably caused considerable harm to Spain, accused of wanting to bury the affair, and contributed to the failure of its bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
Since then, the country adopted a law specifically dedicated to anti-doping in 2021.
But
“while WADA supported the adoption of this legislation, it has since become apparent that the way in which it is interpreted and then applied is not consistent with the provisions of the World Code
,” WADA said in its press release. from January 5.