World medalist Mohamed Katir was banned for 4 years

World 5,000m silver medalist Mohamed Katir has been handed a four-year ban for tampering after he was found to have falsified travel documents submitted during an investigation into missed doping tests.

The 26-year-old Spaniard was banned for two years by the All-American Athletics Union in February for missing three doping tests in 12 months.

But during its investigation, the AIU found that on the date of one of those missed tests, February 28, 2023, Mohamed Katir had altered his travel itinerary, boarding pass and booking confirmation in an attempt to mislead investigators who were investigating his whereabouts that day.

The AIU requires athletes to register their “whereabouts” to assist with unannounced out-of-competition testing.

The four-year ban will run concurrently with Mohamed Katir’s previous ban, extending his suspension until February 2028.

There can be no doubt that the athlete presented a false version of events and altered documents”, concluded the AIU disciplinary court.

Mohamed Katir, who won bronze at the 2022 World Championships in the 1,500m and silver at the 2023 in the 5,000m, will miss the World Championships in Tokyo next year and Beijing in 2027.