Valencia marathon dump CELAD for AIU for anti-doping tests
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 05.01.24. | 11:14
The agency has allegedly been involved in concealing positive doping tests from 2017 to 2022, utilizing various methods to evade disciplinary action against Spanish athletes following these positive tests
The organizers of the Valencia Marathon and Half Marathon, on Thursday 4 January, announced that they will not hire the services of the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency (CELAD) to carry out anti-doping controls in both tests until the investigations into alleged irregularities are clarified in a reliable manner that have been undertaken by both the World Anti-Doping Agency and the State Attorney General's Office due to possible criminal evidence.
'Relevo' published several days ago that the agency dependent on the Higher Sports Council (CSD) would have paid with public funds for irregular controls for five years, which would have caused no positive cases to be sanctioned.
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The Council, according to 'El País', had already sent a complaint to the Prosecutor's Office.
The general director of these events, Juan Manuel Botella, warned that although the cases that have appeared in the media are not related to the controls carried out in the Valencia Marathon and Half Marathon, there is a loss of confidence in the maximum Spanish anti-doping body, in which until now they had trusted, and also in the companies empowered by it to carry out the tests.
“If the president of the CSD himself has publicly declared that there are criminal signs and has transferred them to the Prosecutor's Office, the situation is very serious, so we cannot sit idly by or pretend that nothing is happening,” Botella added.
The manager made it clear that the organization has clear exemplary standards against cheaters and that it will not allow even the slightest shadow of doubt in its fight against doping.
“We build professional careers of the highest global level in which the highest Spanish anti-doping body and its contracted companies have to be up to the challenge; if not, they shouldn't be there,” he stressed.
“For all these reasons, as long as the situation is not clarified in the right direction, the contracting of anti-doping controls in the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich Half Marathon and in the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Marathon will be entrusted directly to teams from the Athletics Integrity Unit ( AIU) to guarantee impartiality, rigor and zero tolerance for cheaters,” Botella confirmed.
The general director of the two Valencian events believes that like all great races, his has also suffered in the past the deception of some runners.
“For this reason, because it has cost us money and broken our hope of crowning the true champions, our commitment to identifying and removing liars from the sport is and will continue to be unwavering,” he stated.
“Hopefully this whole situation makes visible the importance of a stronger and more transparent Spanish anti-doping body, with the human, legal, and economic means necessary to combat corruption in sport.”
