MADRID (AP) — Spain has passed a new anti-doping law hoping to clean up its tarnished image after the Operation Puerto case and boost its bid for the 2020 Olympics.
The new law approved by parliament on Thursday includes the expansion of doping tests for athletes to night hours (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.), costly fines for those who deal in doping substances and creates a new national anti-doping agency with greater autonomy.
The law does not make doping a crime for athletes, just a sports violation subject to bans from competition.
A judge’s recent decision to destroy evidence in the Operation Puerto blood-doping trial has been criticized by anti-doping authorities.
Madrid is competing with Istanbul and Tokyo for the 2020 Games. The IOC will select the host city on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
