Move over EPO, there's a new guy in town: H7379

Doped to the Max wrote:

Well...two out of those five are confirmed; Laâlou - a 2 time loser (EP0 & a masking agent), and of course, Ramzi, one of the biggest catches of all time with that IC CERA positive @ Beijing. Now when you look at Morocco's top 7 all-time fastest 1500 men, four(4) have been busted for doping! (3 EPOs & 1 ABP hematological anomalies case). That's huge and a reasonable thinking person would have to conclude that the other 3, including El G, would more than likely be doping (El G's training partner & pacer, was also busted for EPO. Lol).

Perhaps more reading on the culture of doping in Morocco might instill a more pragmatic understanding of how doping was an integral part of their athletics:

https://lawm.sportschau.de/doha2019/nachrichten/Morocco-A-paradise-for-sports-cheats,lawmdoha1138.html

"Hall of Fame, Hall of Shame"

"Morocco is a country with a long running tradition that has produced great stars in the history of medium and long distance competitions. Said Aouita dominated the 1980s at all distances between 800 and 5000 meters. He is the only athlete to have won Olympic medals on both courses. Nawal El Moutawakel became Olympic champion over 400 hurdles in 1984 - as the first African and first Muslim woman to win gold at the Games and thus was even promoted later to become a member of the International Olympic Committee. And last but not least: Hicham El Guerrouj, whose world record in Rome in 1998 has lasted over 1500 metres until today. Even more striking, however, is the fact that the country in North Africa also looks back on a long era of convicted sports fraudsters - almost like Kenya or Russia."

"The Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation is based right next to the largest stadium in the capital, Rabat, where the Diamond League Meeting, currently the most important athletics event on the African continent, takes place every year. Right in the entrance area of the association's headquarters, champions are honoured, including those who have been blown out for fraud. One example: Amine Laalou - once one of the best in the world over the 800 and 1500 meters: now with multiple doping convictions. The man, who was banned from all sports activities for eight years, now works as a junior trainer, reports an informant. In an interview, Laalou confirms this, saying that this should not be made public because he would then lose his job."

"Frustration of the sports investigators"

The examination of the consequences brings amazing revelations to light: The doping dealer, whose home was once searched, doping substances seized, is to be still attained under the same telephone number and describes open-heartedly, problems with the police he got none. The pharmacy in the highlands around Ifrane, a popular training area for runners from many countries, sells the endurance doping drug EPO without a prescription on demand."

"Without much digression, sports investigators complain that after passing on information to Morocco they never get any feedback as to whether the authorities in the monarchy are prosecuting the cases at all: It is as if everything disappears into a black hole."