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Their ban will run from February 9 to August 8 this year.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned Camilo Santiago of Spain and Ivan Zarco Alvarez of Honduras for six months each for violating the World Athletics’ Integrity Code of Conduct and the World Athletics’ Manipulation of Sports Competitions Rules (MSC) Rules.
The ban comes after the duo shared the same bib at the 2021 Itelligence Citylauf Invitational Marathon in Dresden, Germany.
A day after the event, Spanish running website, Soy Corredor, published an article stating that Santiago competed in the marathon wearing Zarco’s bib.
On March 23 2021, Santiago tweeted an apology, noting he had no malicious intent and that Zarco suggested he (Santiago) use his (Zarco’s) bib to run the marathon. That same day, Zarco contacted World Athletics requesting the marathon result be attributed to Santiago.
Santiago and Zarco told the AIU investigation that Santiago’s bag (containing his bib number) went missing just before the race and they explained to the race organisers that Santiago would run in Zarco’s bib. Meanwhile, marathon organisers refuted the claims.
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ATHLETICS Kenyan-born Kazakhstani suspended for doping
She was a gold medallist in the 3000m steeple chase during the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
In presenting its case, the AIU highlighted the following: “Mr Zarco’s and Mr Santiago’s accounts of events were directly inconsistent with other evidence and did not demonstrate an honest attempt to correct the Marathon results.
The fact that Mr Zarco and Mr Santiago swapped bibs at all and were caught out in a public forum demonstrates that their conduct was unreasonable and it brought the sport into disrepute…The bib swap was an intentional arrangement for the purpose of altering Mr Zarco’s Marathon results.”
Both athletes signed admission and acceptance forms stating they breached the following Integrity Standards in the Code: Honesty (Rule 3.3.1), Maintain Integrity of Competition (Rule 3.3.4), Failure to Report (Rule 3.3.15), and Failure to Protect Reputation (Rule 3.3.17).
Additionally, they admitted breaching MSC Rule 4 (Manipulation of Competitions).
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