The Spanish anti-doping authority Celad has caused an international scandal with its activities.
Spain’s national anti-doping authority Celad (Comición Española para la Lucha Antidopaje en el Deporte) has drifted into the middle of the storm.
Relief– and elDiario.esAccording to the investigative journalists of the websites, Celad has been printing positive doping samples given by athletes on wool for years and has allowed illegal testing.
The sites raise, for example, a sprinter Patrick Chinedu Iken the case. Born in Nigeria, Ike, 39, started representing Spain in 2018. That year, he participated in the European Championships held in Berlin, among others, and ran his personal record of 10.16.
About a year later, in the doping test of the Catalan championships, Ike was caught e.g. from the use of the anabolic steroid nandrolone.
It is a serious doping violation, which basically results in a four-year ban from competition. Nevertheless, Ike was allowed to compete for years in Spanish national events. According to the website ElDiario.es, the runner not only avoided punishment, but the cart was not even investigated.
The case did not come to light until November 2023. The Spanish Ministry of Education, which finances national anti-doping activities, began to investigate the matter after receiving several anonymous reports about Celad’s activities.
According to the Spanish media, Celad has looked through the fingers at several other carts. Relevo brought up the marathoner Majida Maayouf the case. In 2020, the Spanish record holder of the trip was caught using the drug terbutaline, which is banned in sports.
According to Relevo, the person in charge of Celad’s doping control Jesús Muñoz-Guerra urged Maayof to apply for a different exemption for the use of the drug afterwards, so that the positive doping sample could be acknowledged with it. Athletes can get different exemptions for the use of substances prohibited in sports if they can prove that they need them, for example, to treat an illness.
There have also been cases where Celad has waited more than a year before informing the athlete about his positive doping sample. At this point, the case can be interpreted as expired.
Testing against the rules
The research team of the Relevo website has got hold of documents, according to which Celad has given his blessing to illegal doping testing.
Celad has ordered tests from the external company PWC (Professional Worldwide Controls). According to Relevo, PWC often carried out testing with only one tester or a tester and a person who was not authorized to work. According to Spanish anti-doping rules, at least two trained testers must be present during testing.
According to Relevo, PWC’s motive was to save on salary costs. The site says that PWC told the testers to work alone and Celad was aware of that. Illegal testing was carried out at least in the years 2017–2022.
What did Wada know?
The World Anti-Doping Agency, Wada, told the Spanish media that it is investigating Celad’s activities and that it demands quick explanations from the Spanish Anti-Doping Authority for the harsh accusations.
However, according to Relevo, Wada has been at least partially aware of the grievances that have been going on in Spain for years. For example, sprinter Patrick Chinedu Ike’s positive sample was entered into the international ADAMS system in July 2019. Still, the runner was allowed to continue competing without Celad or Wada interfering.
The scandal deepens that According to the ABC website two representatives of Celad are currently under criminal investigation.
Jesús Muñoz-Guerra, responsible for doping testing, and an employee Coral Fernández is suspected of falsifying public documents in connection with a doping investigation. The two face years in prison.