Mo Katir accepts his two-year ban and attributes his error to “serious error”

Mo Katirworld runner-up in the 5,000 meters, issued a statement on Friday in which he announced that, after a “cold assessment” of the situation, he considered the two-year ban imposed by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) due to a breach stemming from three localization failures in the past twelve months, and attributed the errors to “serious oversights.”

Katir was suspended for two years, until February 6, 2026, by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), of World Athletics.

The rulings refer to three instances in which Katir could not be found to undergo an anti-doping test. The Spanish athlete attributes them to errors when completing the data for the location on the platform created for this purpose, ADAMS.

Katir’s punishment runs from February 7, 2024 to February 6, 2026 and, although I was able to use the Athletics Integrity Unit itself and also in Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAS)something he initially appreciated, finally decided not to use that resource.

In his statement, he asks for “forgiveness” to all the people who have supported him throughout his life, from his family, sponsors, entities, coaches, representatives, as well as to all the people “in bigger or smaller breadth is always there”.

“As I already explained in my part at the time of publishing the temporary suspension of the AIU, it is not something related to the use of prohibited substances or methods, or avoiding any anti-doping control. This is a disciplinary file. for wrongly updating my location data,” Katir emphasized.

“These are cases that can happen, and in fact happen, sometimes to athletes included in the anti-doping control program. For example, at a certain point, when my location data was included, the platform did not work anymore right, limiting myself to sending an email to the WADA ADAMS system manager to let him know where I am at that moment and where I will be on the following dates,” he explained.

“However, out of ignorance, and thinking that ADAMS and AIU were the same, I did not inform AIU of this, something I later learned was mandatory,” he added.

“I don’t know that updating the location data in such cases needs to be done as soon as possible,” he said, noting that he believed that, “at first, just sending an email to the platform manager was enough. “.

“In another case, for example, when the doping control agents came to my house to conduct an out-of-competition anti-doping test, I was training near my home, which really did not give me time to get to the place that appeared. in my location data. in the sixty-minute period of that particular date,” he pointed out.

“It is important to note that, even a few hours after making some of these localization errors, I was subjected to out-of-competition doping controls, always giving a negative result,” he added.

Katir emphasized that these location failures were due to “ignorance” on his part of the “correct functioning of the location system through ADAMS.” “Fundamentally in the update of data after the quarterly presentation initially made by me, but, above all, this problem has been motivated because I am a very clueless person,” he emphasizes.

“I would assume that these oversights or errors in updating location data in ADAMS boil down to a lack of diligence. Considering all of the above, and cold-blooded analysis of the lengthy processes that others may present” t other sources and which may also lead to a long wait (even long after the Olympic Games), I am forced to accept the sanction proposed by the AIU,” he commented.

“This way I can begin to fulfill it as soon as possible and this way I can return as soon as possible and it will not be delayed in time. And if all this I will serve as an example to inform the rest of my colleagues about the importance of tracking the location up to date, I will be satisfied. As I see and live myself, mistakes are paid at a very high price,” he declared.

Katir made it clear that “regardless of the serious mistakes, the sports achievements that have been achieved to date have been achieved without using at any time any kind of doping.”

“Once the sanction period has expired, I will return to competitions to continue showing my sporting level. Of course, being completely careful about these issues. I hope I will be grateful for the support of all the people who trusted me, hope to be able to offer new sporting achievements to them. upon my return to competitions,” he concluded.

The suspension completely halted the professional career of Katir, who this Saturday would have turned 25 in his best sporting moment.

This season, he marked the Olympic Games in Paris in red on his calendar, in August, and the European Games in Rome in June. Next year he will also miss the Indoor World Championships in Nanjing (China) and the Outdoor World Championships in Tokyo.