In a shocking turn of events, Mohamed Katir, Spain’s one of the most celebrated athletes, the 2023 World 5000m silver medalist, has been handed a 4-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The suspension, announced on December 20, 2024, comes in response to Katir tampering and falsifying documents during an ongoing investigation. This new penalty will run altogether with the 2-year ban he was already serving for missing three doping tests. That puts him away till 2028, and it’s going to be a long while.

This news has stirred outrage among everyone; fans and critics alike, and people are angry, and in support of the ban. One fan expressed his frustration by saying, “the guy should rot for life for doing such a thing!” and similar reactions can be witnessed from others as well.

A tarnished legacy: From silver to shame

Mohamed Katir, 26, originally from Morocco, constantly saw the limelight in the athletics world due to his significant feats, including getting a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. But Katir has now been overshadowed by his fall from grace. His initial 2-year ban was announced in February 2024 due to missing three doping tests within a 12-month period. That’s already crazy! He took a significant blow to his career. However, the revelation of document tampering escalated the situation, prompting the AIU to extend the punishment for a few more years.

Katir tried to weave stories to avoid the sanction. But ultimately, one of his false testament caught the attention of AIU the most. It was on February 28th, 2023: he claimed that his girlfriend called him around 8:30 in the morning and told him that she was sick, for which he flew to her to the Portuguese Capital. Later on, he falsified the date on the reservation ticket– which he himself presented as evidence. Also, Mohamed Katir had actually flown to Libson two days earlier this all happened.

On March 18th, the AIU made an announcement to undertake the manipulation in their hands by initiating a process. AIU’s director Brett Clothier said, “Gone are the days in athletics when explanations offered in anti-doping cases were simply accepted, thanks to a heavy investment in investigations, the AIU has prosecuted 25 cases of manipulation since its creation in 2017.” They dropped their decision on December 19th, that said the two year ban is doubled to four. Now, Mohamed Katir is going to lose his most essential days, peak time, without competing and this will go on till he’s 30 years old. This incident has taken the Track and Field world by storm, and people are not appreciating this behavior.

Fans views: “Got what he deserved”

This mishap has been a major disappointment. The anger can be felt, people are expressing their views on social media platforms like X and instagram over Mohamed Katir’s actions and the leniency of his suspension has the same type of color. As one fan put it, “Four years is just a slap on the wrist; the guy should rot for life for doing such a thing!” Other comments on social media followed suit, in exact words “Should be life ban 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️,”reflecting the community’s distrust in athletes who tarnish the sport’s reputation. As Katir also tried to escape the doping test’s callings, not one but three times in the year, meaning, he got his chances and failed to be on the cleaner side.

The incident has had a lasting impact, nullifying the trust of fans and supporters. Online platforms have been filled with strong reactions, including comments like, “He took the p**s doping. More lit up than a Christmas tree. Got what he deserved,”  while another states, “Dude needs to rot away for taking that juice and trying to hide it,” and comments like, “He was a beast fr on the juice tho 😂,” were seen, that captured all sorts of emotions after the final call was made by AIU confirming Katir’s ban extending for two more years after this serving time, that makes it 2028.

The overwhelming sentiment is that Mohamed Katir’s punishment is well-deserved, even though it has sparked controversy and debate over the effectiveness of current anti-doping measures. This scandal has completely sent shockwaves through the Track and Field world. It is leaving many to question the integrity of athletes, and how they will be held accountable in the future. As Katir loses his most competitive years, fans and athletes are calling for stricter penalties to maintain the integrity of the sport as the best measure.