Two prominent athletes, Spain’s Mohamed Katir and Japan’s Koki Ikeda, are contesting their doping suspensions, with both cases now pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Katir Appeals Four-Year Ban for Tampering
Spanish middle- and long-distance star Mohamed Katir has officially appealed the initial decision of the disciplinary tribunal, which handed him a four-year ban for tampering with doping control procedures. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), however, has cross-appealed against the athlete’s appeal in an attempt to uphold the original ruling.
According to an AIU press release, Katir was sanctioned under Rule 2.5 of the Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) for Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any part of doping control by an athlete or other person. The ban, first imposed following charges in June 2024, will run concurrently with an existing sanction for whereabouts failures, effectively sidelining Katir from athletics competition until February 2028.
Katir, who currently holds three Spanish national records, in the 1500m and 3000m indoors, and the 5000m, made headlines in July 2023 when he set a new European record in the 5000m at the Monaco Diamond League. His blistering time of 12:45.01 eclipsed the previous record of 12:48.45 held by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Ikeda Challenges ABP-Related Suspension
Meanwhile, Japanese racewalking ace Koki Ikeda is also appealing a four-year doping ban imposed by the disciplinary tribunal. Ikeda was sanctioned over an Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) violation, a system designed to detect potential doping based on irregularities in an athlete’s biological markers over time.
The 26-year-old, a two-time Olympian and multiple World Championships competitor, has been provisionally suspended since November 1, 2024, with time served credited toward his ban. Additionally, all of Ikeda’s results from June 20, 2023, to November 1, 2024, have been annulled. He had previously competed at the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, achieving a personal best of 1:16:51 in the 20km racewalk.
Like Katir, Ikeda has taken his case to CAS, where both athletes now await the outcome of their respective appeals.
