Spaniard Mohamed Katir, world vice-champion in the 5000m, announced on Wednesday that he had been "provisionally suspended" by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for having missed three anti-doping controls during the last year.
“Today the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) imposed a provisional suspension on me for what they consider to be a breach of the rules arising from three whereabouts failures in the last 12 months” , Katir said in a statement sent to Spanish media.
The Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA), "once it received the official notification regarding the opening of the procedure", proceeded to "immediately suspend the athlete's license", it indicated, reiterating “its firm stance against doping in sport”.
European record holder
Mohamed Katir claims that he was not guilty of "a case of violation of doping rules for the use of prohibited substances or methods" and that he did not "evade doping controls out of competition ".
“I will defend myself with the appropriate authorities,” he assured, asking that “the right to the presumption of innocence be respected.”
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The 25-year-old runner, born in Morocco, naturalized in 2020 and vice-world champion in 5000 meters in 2023, is one of Spain's main medal chances in athletics at the Paris Olympics this summer.
For six months he has also been the European record holder over the distance (12′45″01), beating the mark of Norwegian champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen
.