November 14, 2007 (Madrid, Spain) — Jaime Lissavetzky, Spain’s Secretary of State for Sport, yesterday explained that Spanish anti-doping law will not send convicted athletes to jail according to AFP. Lissavetzky said Spain will follow the French model of contemplating prison for the entourage of convicted athletes, but only administrative sanctions for the athletes themselves. He claimed that this approach targets “the core of the problem.”

Lissavetzky also pointed out how Spanish law differs from Italian law, where athletes can theoretically be put behind bars. But he suggested that the most effective laws are those that can be applied and raised questions about how many Italian athletes have been imprisoned.

New anti-doping laws were enacted in 2006 on the heels of the Puerto doping scandal on Spanish soil. Apart from Spain, the only countries where people can go to jail for sports doping-related offences are Austria, Denmark, France and Italy.

Lissavetzky’s comments come just before the Third World Conference on Doping in Sport, officially opening tomorrow in Madrid, Spain. The conference is supposed to mark a major milestone in the strengthening of global efforts to combat doping in sport through its consideration of the revised World Anti-Doping Code.

Although cyclists are perhaps most prominent in the public perception of doping, Spain has been shaken recently by many high profile athletes involved in doping scandals. These include: Spanish cross-country skier Johann Muehlegg; distance runners Alberto Garcia and Julio Rey; as well as Athletic Bilbao soccer player Carlos Gurpegi.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President, Dick Pound, today emphasized that the Puerto doping scandal extends to more than just cyclists according to AP. On this point, Pound contradicts Lissavetzky who insists that the scandal was limited only to professional cyclists. Later this week, Australian John Fahey will take over from Pound as WADA president.

We recently published a guest editorial by Montreal Sports lawyer, Patrice M. Brunet recently published on this subject where Brunet called on Canada to enact new anti-doping laws and praised aspects of France’s legislation on this. To read Brunet’s editorial click here.