Spanish star banned over doping scandal

Spain’s athletics federation yesterday suspended one of the world’s top track stars from her post as vice president over a doping scandal in which she and 13 others have been arrested.

Marta Dominguez, who won the 3,000-metre steeplechase at the 2009 world championships as well as the silver medal in the 5,000 metres at the 2001 and 2003 events, was detained on Thursday along with other top athletes, coaches and medical staff as part of Operation Galgo.

It was the third major police anti-doping operation in Spain in recent years.

Judicial sources said Dominguez is suspected of a “crime against public health in relation to doping substances.”

The head Spanish athletics federation (RFEA), Jose Maria Odriozola, told Dominguez in a letter that since the matter “seriously damages the image of Spanish athletics, I have decided as a precaution to suspend your appointment as vice president.

“I hope these charges will be clarified soon and we will be able to know the extent of your implication as soon as possible,” he said in the letter, which was released to the media.

Dominguez, 35, is one of four vice presidents of the RFEA and is in charge of relations with athletes.

She was provisionally released from police custody in her home town of Palencia in northern Spain late on Thursday. The sources said she would appear before a Madrid judge “soon”, possibly by video link from Palencia.

The ministry said police carried out 15 raids of homes in various parts of the country as part of Operation Galgo in which they also seized anabolic steroids, bags of blood and “laboratory utensils for blood transfusion.”

El Pais said that during the search of Dominguez’s home “substances were found, such as EPO, in sufficient quantities to justify the accusation of supplying, further supported by the previous statements of another athlete.”

Dominguez is not taking part in the 2011 season because she is pregnant.

She had planned to return in 2012 for the London Olympics.