“Spanish sport has several cases of unsanctioned doping and the World Anti-Doping Agency knows it.” Thus begins the result of the investigation carried out by the Spanish sports media Revelo. Specializing in investigations, the website accuses the world’s highest anti-doping body of having allowed Spain not to sanction several of its athletes who tested positive.
How ? Thanks to “refined manipulation of administrative flaws”. Clearly, the Spanish anti-doping agency (CELAD) would knowingly and regularly let the maximum period provided for by the regulations – one year – elapse between the opening of a doping case and notification to the incriminated athlete. “Instead of sending it electronically, which allows immediate sending, it sends the notification by post, which means that the letter takes several days to reach the athlete,” explain the two journalists in charge of investigation.
When the athlete receives the sanction, he appeals to the Administrative Sports Tribunal which finds in his favor since the notification was communicated outside the legal deadline. The procedure is swept aside and the athlete in question slips through the cracks.
Relevo mentions another method, that of the use of retroactive therapeutic use authorizations (TUEs). These authorizations usually allow athletes to justify the use of prohibited substances on medical prescription.
The online media accuses the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of being in possession of documents proving the existence of illicit positive results in Spanish sport for five years. “Our sport is not clean”, conclude our colleagues, because of the actions of the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency which, “far from ensuring the health of Spanish sport, contributes with more than doubtful management to what certain athletes having had unfavorable results during doping controls continue to compete.”
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