In June 2021 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for World Athletics has reported an anti-doping rule violation agaist the Ecuadorian sprinter Alex Leonardo Quiñonez for his Whereabouts Filing Failures and 3 Missed Tests within a 12 month period.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement with evidence in his defence and he was heard for the World Athletic Disciplinary Tribunal.
The Athlete admitted the violation and explained that his representative Mr Suarez made the entries in ADAMS on his behalf. The Athlete and Mr Suarez testified with evidence that 2 Missed Tests in June 2020 in September 2020 were the result of miscommunication. The failure to update the Athlete's Whereabouts filing beyond 6 May 2021 was only attributed to human error by Mr Suarez and resulted in the 3rd Missed Test on 19 May 2021.
The Sole Arbitrator finds that the Athlete had admitted the violation although he had not caused or contributed to Mr Suarez's human error. Yet the Athlete remains personally responsible for the Missed Test resulting from the Filing Failure as he cannot hide behind the failure of his representative.
Further the Sole Arbitrator considered the Athlete's degree of fault in view of the inexplicable human error made by Mr Suarez and the Athlete's failure to independently check the entries in ADAMS.
Therefore the Sole Arbitrator decides on 14 July 2021 to impose a reduced 12 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 25 June 2021.
