International Olympic Committee (IOC) doping rules will prevail over Spanish laws if Madrid becomes the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, said Spain’s Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco on Tuesday, reacting to the IOC evaluation commission report of Madrid 2016’s bid which said Spain’s anti-doping legislation was possibly not up to its standards.
According to Channel News Asia, Spain’s legislation forbids doping tests being undertaken in the evening while the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) expects athletes to be available for tests around the clock.
Blanco reportedly said the Spanish government was mulling making changes so that its doping legislation, which was stiffened two years ago, meets global standards.
He said, “we continue to defend the work that was done in Spain, which has a specific law against doping. Spain has taken an important step in the fight against doping which it considers to be a crime, not on the part of athletes but by those who make money off the health of these athletes”.
The IOC’s doping rules, based on WADA regulations but more restrictive, automatically apply to nations that organize the Olympics while the event is underway, reports Channel News Asia.
Meanwhile Blanco said Wednesday that he considered Madrid still favourite to be chosen as host city for the 2016 Games, although the city received a possible setback last week with the publication of the IOC evaluation commission report.
According to Xinhua, the report also criticized various organizational issues.
Blanco told the sports newspaper Diario AS that he was optimistic that these issues could be overcome. “in eight of the 10 different categories Madrid was chosen first”, referring to the report. He added that the city of Madrid would also take the opportunity to explain any perceived weaknesses in its bid.
He said, “on Monday we will be presenting our explanations. I don’t know if Madrid will win the election, but it is a fact that we have enough guarantees to do so.
“Every one of the 103 people who have the final vote will do so to the best of their knowledge and vote for that they consider to be the best candidacy”.
