The keyword in this headline is provisional because Mohamed Katir of Spain has not officially been convicted of wrongdoing – he’s only being accused of it. Katir is twice a World Championship medalist, and his quick ascension to stardom has previously drawn suspicion. In 2021, Katir dropped his 1500m time from 3:36.59 to 3:28.76, his 3000m improved from 7:44.13 to 7:27.64, and he has since run 12:45.01 for 5000m.

Rapid progressions often throw up red flags in fans’ heads, but at the age of 23, it’s not uncommon to get way faster, relatively quickly. Look at Yared Nuguse, who dropped 10 seconds in his mile last year. You don’t think he’s cheating, do you? That’s because we watched him grow up.

I have no clue if Katir is cheating – I hope he’s not! He is a fearless racer, posts sick videos of him ripping on the treadmill, indulges in great celebrations, and is a wordsmith. All important qualities we look for in our stars.

There isn’t much of a “we got ‘em!” hit of satisfaction when athletes are suspended for whereabouts failures. I’d like some more definitive proof, like a doctor coming out and saying it’s a miracle that a theoretically caught athlete is even alive because it’s IMPOSSIBLE to have THAT much testosterone in their bloodstream.