Operación Galgo

Operación Galgo (Operation Greyhound) is an investigation into doping in athletics by the Guardia Civil in Spain. Initiated in April 2010,^[1] the investigation came to public attention with the raid of houses and the arrest of high profile athletes, coaches and doctors, among others.^[2]

Among those arrested were Marta Domínguez, the reigning steeplechase world champion. She was immediately suspended from her role of vice president of the Real Federación Española de Atletismo (Spain's governing body for athletics).^[3] Other athletes who were interrogated were European champion Nuria Fernández, Alberto García, Reyes Estévez and Adriënne Herzog.^[4] European cross country champion Alemayehu Bezabeh admitted to taking banned substances.^[5] The case centres around athletics coaches César Pérez, Manuel Pascua and María José Martínez Guerrero, manager José Alonso and Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was previously implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case.^[1]

Sixty-one Spanish athletes signed a petition in support of the investigation.^[6]

In March 2011, Bezabeh was absolved of doping charges by the Spanish Athletics Federation due to a lack of evidence against him, and the organisation's president accepted that Bezabeh's blood had been removed to test for a liver condition.^[7]

In July 2011, Marta Dominguez was acquitted of the charges of doping (providing various medicines without proper prescription) pending with the courts.^[8]

Gallery

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  Marta Dominguez, acquitted in July 2011

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  Reyes Estévez

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  Nuria Fernández

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  Adriënne Herzog, acquitted in August 2011

See also

• List of doping cases in sport

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Bezabeh and Fernández pull out of Euro Cross as Spanish doping probe continues. Athletics Weekly (2010-12-10). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
2. ^ World champion Marta Dominguez suspended in drugs probe. BBC Sport (2010-12-10). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
3. ^ Marta Domínguez suspendida cautelarmente de su cargo de vicepresidenta de la RFEA. RFEA (2010-12-10). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
4. ^ Arribas, Carlos (2010-12-10). El dopaje derriba otro mito (Spanish). El Pais. Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
5. ^ La Guardia Civil interroga a Nuria Fernández y Reyes Estévez. El Pais (2010-12-10). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
6. ^ "Los tramposos han disfrutado de una impunidad desesperante". El Pais. Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
7. ^ Arribas, Carlos (2011-03-28). La federación española absuelve de "tentativa de dopaje" a Bezabeh (Spanish). El Pais. Retrieved on 2011-03-28.
8. ^ Marta Domínguez was absolved exculpada del cargo de dopaje (Spanish). EUROPA PRESS. Retrieved on 2011-07-11