Spanish Runner Ilias Fifa Wins Race After 4-Year Doping Ban

"I have already served my sentence, I respect the regulations and I continue to argue that I am innocent, I have never tested positive. The sanction is already over and I have also turned the page," said Ilias Fifa after his victory. The athlete of Moroccan origin had been suspended for four years for trafficking in doping products and made his comeback in May, recalls Sport.es.

"For me, today’s victory is very important, because this is where I learned to run," he confided, thanking the organizers of the Jean Bouin race in which "all Catalan athletes and many Spanish athletes want to participate to prepare for the season". The athlete’s goal for next year "is to run on the track... In January, February and March, I will participate in indoor and outdoor competitions".

Ilias Fifa also thanked his wife, his family and his coach Rafa Caro, who supported him and trusted him during this difficult period of his suspension. "It is thanks to them that I am showing myself today and that I am proving that I am a fighter," he said. He plans to participate very soon in the Croix de Granollers and the course dels Nassos in Barcelona on December 31, where he will try to beat the Catalan record (13 min 38) in the 5 km.