Spain updates doping law to boost Madrid’s chances of landing 2016 Olympics

Spain alters doping law ahead of 2016 Olympic vote

MADRID — Spain adjusted its anti-doping laws Friday to comply with international regulations and boost Madrid’s chances of staging the 2016 Olympics.

Spain’s legislation will permit drug-testing of athletes between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. in line with World Anti-Doping Agency rules, Deputy Prime Minister Elena Salgado said. Previously, Spain had permitted testing between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Doubts over Spain’s full compliance with WADA’s out-of-competition testing rules was one of the issues raised by an International Olympic Committee evaluation panel after it visited Madrid to inspect its 2016 bid project.

Madrid is competing with Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. The IOC will announce the winning city on Oct. 2 in Copenhagen.

“With this initiative, the government wants to boost Madrid’s 2016 candidacy so that it can go to Copenhagen with the approval of all the international bodies involved in the fight against doping,” Salgado said after the weekly government’s Cabinet meeting.

The government pointed out that although the IOC had raised the issue, WADA in August had listed Spain among the countries that fully complied with the anti-doping code and among the few that apply out-of-competition controls.

Spain’s reputation was badly tarnished by cycling’s Operation Puerto doping scandal in 2006 when police raided two clinics in Madrid that were allegedly at the center of a blood-doping ring. More than 50 cyclists and several doctors and cycling team officials were implicated, but no one was formally charged.