Others who were arrested also likely to be in court soon
The 2009 world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez has testified in front of a judge in connection with the Operación Galgo doping affair, denying using banned substances and claiming that her image has been damaged by the allegations.
The 35 year old was amongst 14 people taken into custody on December 9th, following raids in several parts of Spain. Also arrested were Eufemiano Fuentes, his sister Yolanda and Alberto León; all three were implicated in the earlier Operación Puerto case in 2006, which ultimately saw cycling stars such as Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and Alejandro Valverde be sidelined from the sport.
Others who were arrested include Dominguez’s coach Cesar Perez and the former European 5,000-meter champion Alberto Garcia.
“I am innocent and I will return to competition as soon as I recover from my pregnancy,” she insisted to reporters after her two and a half hour questioning, according to AP. She said she was implicated through wiretaps but that earlier reports that banned substances were found were incorrect.
“A lot of damage has been done to my image, my family and my loved ones,” she said. Police did seize bags of blood, EPO, anabolic steroids and hormones in the wider raids.
More than 350 Spanish track and field coaches put their names to a statement released yesterday, which said that the “suspects should be investigated to the full extent.”
Spain has faced allegations that it is soft on doping, but the latest raids indicate the Guardia Civil is taking things very seriously.
In addition, the Spanish athletics federation has said that Dominguez will be stripped of her various career medals if she is found guilty. She is twice European 5,000-meter champion.
She was acting as vice-president of the federation at the time of the raids, but has since been suspended.
At this period of time there is no firm links to cycling, apart from the involvement of Fuentes, his sister and León. In the years since Operación Puerto there were suggestions that Fuentes was still involved in doping riders, and so there is the possibility that some could be implicated as the investigation develops.
Fuentes will soon face charges relating to Puerto. As the blood bags were not stored correctly, Spanish authorities are set to prosecute him in relation to crimes against public health.