Search
shop

IRONMAN announce another Age-Group doping positive

A Spanish age-group athlete has been issued with a four-year doping ban for a positive test for clenbuterol at IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella.
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Spanish athlete target-tested (and busted) at IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella

Announced yesterday, IRONMAN confirmed the four-year doping sanction of a Spanish age-group athlete, Juan Antonio Gomez Gonzalez. He was caught through an in-competition test at IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella in April this year, positive for clenbuterol. The full announcement is reproduced below.

An age-group winner at IRONMAN Malaysia in October 2018, he’ll also lose the opportunity to race in Kona this coming October.

Aside from the ‘news’, the most interesting thing for me is the process that lead to this result. The athlete was specifically target-tested, based on information shared between the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program and the Spanish National Anti-Doping Agency.

IRONMAN typically get criticised externally for perceived lack of testing (despite published evidence of current sanctions), but clearly testing is happening, and not just at World Championship level. I personally also know of several British age-group athletes (Kona podium finishers) who have been randomly tested, out-of-competition in the UK, in the weeks leading up to the IRONMAN World Championship in recent years.

Given the number of athletes involved in the sport, from my perspective, target-testing athletes based upon considered intelligence (whistleblowing) or consistently high performance, has to be the way forward.

Seemingly everyone “knows” age-group doping is going on… but if you do, have you ever done anything about it? Here’s a reminder of how you can pass on that information to UK Anti-Doping.

CLICK HERE TO REPORT DOPING IN SPORT TO UKAD


IRONMAN AGE-GROUP ATHLETE JUAN ANTONIO GOMEZ GONZALEZ ACCEPTS SANCTION FOR ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION

Gomez Gonzalez serving a four-year sanction

Today, the IRONMAN® Anti-Doping Program announced that Spanish age-group athlete Juan Antonio Gomez Gonzalez accepted a four-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance. Gomez Gonzalez’s positive sample was collected in-competition at the 2019 IRONMAN® 70.3® Marbella triathlon.

Gomez Gonzalez’s sample tested positive for clenbuterol, which is in a class of anabolic agents prohibited at all times under IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules and consistent with the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

All results-management proceedings and sanctions applied under the jurisdiction of the IRONMAN AntiDoping Program are determined in accordance with the WADA Code and the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules. In accordance with Article 10 of the WADA Code, Gomez Gonzalez’s period of ineligibility began April 27, 2019, the date of his out-of-competition test. As a result, Gomez Gonzalez has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to April 27, 2019, including results from 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella. He had been previously provisionally suspended and will remain ineligible to participate in any IRONMAN® or IRONMAN® 70.3® competition or any other event organized by any WADA Code Signatory for the four-year period of ineligibility.

“This case is the result of information sharing between the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program and the Spanish National Anti-Doping Agency, Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte (AEPSAD),” said Kate Mittelstadt, Director of the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program. “When we can share information and coordinate efforts within the anti-doping community, our collective ability to target our testing and detect doping is significantly increased. This result is proof of that, and we thank AEPSAD for their collaboration.”

To learn more about the IRONMAN Anti-Doping program, including the WADA Prohibited List and the risks associated with supplement use, visit www.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/anti-doping.aspx.

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Joe Skipper finished fifth at Challenge Roth 2023
Challenge Roth 2025: Triathlon star Joe Skipper comes back from the brink for another shot at iconic race
ironman hamburg 2025 podium laura philipp kat matthews solveig lovseth beer
Challenge Roth 2025: Laura Philipp backed to make triathlon history by crashing through magical time barrier
Challenge Roth press conference 2025
Challenge Roth 2025: Date, start times, how to watch live and who’s racing
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Toulouse 2024
British Olympic legend Georgia Taylor-Brown to make triathlon return
Gwen Jorgensen reflective World Triathlon Cup Vina del Mer 2023
‘Unbreakable’ Gwen Jorgensen ‘bruised’ after bike crash but vows to bounce back
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...