Spaniards throw spanner in works

ATHLETICS:The drugs-related arrests yesterday have cast a shadow over tomorrow's event, writes IAN O'RIORDAN

NOT FOR the first time the mood of a major athletics event has been abruptly shaken by a drugs scandal. Yesterday’s revelations that 14 Spanish athletes, coaches and agents had been arrested in a police doping sting known as Operación Galgo has directly impacted on tomorrow’s European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal, in that many of Spain’s leading medal contenders have suddenly withdrawn.

These include the defending men’s champion Alemayehu Bezabeh and defending women’s silver medallist Rosa Morato, plus reigning European 1,500 metres champion Nuria Fernández, and it remains to be seen how many of the Spanish runners actually show up in the Algarve tomorrow.

All this does, of course, improve the Irish medal chances, particularly Fionnuala Britton in the senior women’s race, but it also marks yet another blow to the credibility of the sport, at least in certain countries.

Spain’s reputation for fair play in sport has already taken a hammering this year with the case of their Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who is fighting to hold on to his title after testing positive for the banned steroid clenbuterol during the race. Contador was also linked to a previous Spanish police doping sting, known as Operación Puerto, which forced his withdrawal from the 2006 Tour. There have now been 20 positive doping cases in Spanish cycling over the past year and a half alone.

One of the central figures in Operación Galgo – which translates as Operation Greyhound – is the well-known Spanish distance runner Marta Domínguez, the reigning world 3,000 metres steeplechase champion, and who won the European Cross Country on home soil, in Toro, in 2007.

Domínguez also beat Sonia O’Sullivan to the gold medal over 5,000 metres at the European Championships back in 2002 – and is famous for wearing a pink headband once given to her by her grandmother.

It’s now likely Domínguez will be remembered for different reasons: she was one of the 14 arrested in Spain on Thursday night, along with her coach, César Pérez, and another well-known Spanish trainer, Manuel Pascua Piqueras – coach to both Bezabeh and Fernández. Domínguez’s home was searched and according to reports police removed a laptop, a metal suitcase and a cardboard box. Currently four months pregnant, Domínguez was interviewed by the Guardia Civil in Palencia, and later released with charges outstanding.

The 14 arrests were later confirmed in Alicante, Madrid, Segovia, Las Palmas and Palencia. Reports indicate that doping substances, anabolic steroids and bags of blood have been found in several of the homes searched. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports that Domínguez, who believe it or not, is the vice president of the Spanish Athletics Federation, has been accused, with her trainer, of supplying other athletes with drugs, and for now is not charged with taking any drugs herself.

It means tomorrow’s event in the Algarve has suddenly been thrown wide open, or at least the senior men’s and women’s races have. Bezabeh, who was born in Ethiopia but transferred to Spain in 2004, was hotly tipped to defend his senior men’s title, having won so convincingly in Dublin last year, but his withdrawal yesterday was inevitable once his coach, Piqueras, was arrested.

According to some Spanish reports, Bezabeh has, in fact, admitted his involvement in Operación Galgo during questioning by the Guarda Civil – and Fernández likewise withdrew once the Piqueras revelations were made public.

The impact on tomorrow’s race doesn’t end there: Adrienne Herzog of the Netherlands, who was third last year, is also coached by Piqueras – although she is still scheduled to compete.

Also arrested was the Spanish athletics manager, José Alonso Valero, whose clients include Natalia Rodríguez, the World Indoor Championships 1,500 metres silver medallist, and who is also due to compete tomorrow.

Britton represents Ireland’s best chance of a medal in the senior races tomorrow – and actually beat most of the top Spanish and Portuguese runners in the IAAF international meeting in Spain in mid-November.

The Wicklow athlete, who recently switched coaches and now works with triathlon specialist Chris Jones, was 11th last year and sixth in 2007, and also claims Ireland’s last medal of any sort in these championships when she won silver in the under-21 race back in 2006.

Even if the Spanish challenge is now seriously compromised, and there’s no doubt it will be, Portugal are still a serious threat – having finished fourth, fifth and sixth last year, and also won the team gold. Jessica Augusto, who was second in 2008 and fourth last year, might well give the home crowd what they’ll have come to cheer about.

For better or for worse, the timing of Operación Galgo has sent a few athletes running scared, the Spanish ones anyway, but at least reassured some of those others competing in the Algarve tomorrow that the playing field has been levelled off that little bit more.

CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW

THERE WAS considerable hype this time last year about winning medals on home soil, none of which came to fruition – and with that in mind no one is getting carried away about the Irish medal chances at tomorrow's European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal. But that's not saying they aren't still real.

The men's under-23 team of Brendan O'Neill, John Coghlan, Michael Mulhare, David McCarthy, Ciarán Ó Lionáird and David Rooney brings together some of the most exciting Irish distance running talent in a long time, but all six – with four to score – will need to run to their potential to see off the challenge of France, Great Britain, Belgium, and Spain (provided the latter show up as scheduled due to Operación Galgo).

McCarthy has been in excellent form at his US training base in Providence, Rhode Island, and has been targeting this race all season – and a high individual finish is also on his mind. Likewise with Ciara Mageean (right), who is looking to cap off a fairly sensational year with another medal in the junior women's race – to go with the silver won over 1,500 metres at the World Junior Championships last July.

Fionnuala Britton probably represents the only other chance of a medal in the senior women's race, but the senior men's team won't be too far off, particularly if Joe Sweeney, Mark Kenneally and Mark Christie all deliver their best on the day. (Live on RTÉ2, tomorrow, 2pm-4.0pm.)

THE IRISH IN ACTION

(All times local/Irish)

Junior Women (11.15): Ciara Mageean (Lisburn AC), Emma Mitchell (Banbridge AC), Laura Behan (KCK AC), Fiona McKenna (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Amy O'Donoghue (Emerald AC); Junior Men (11.55): Shane Quinn (Ferrybank AC), Emmet Jennings (Dundrum South Dublin AC), John Travers (Donore Harriers), Paul Robinson (St Coca's AC), Darren McBrearty (Letterkenny AC), Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock AC); Under-23 Women (12.35): Sara Louise Treacy (Moynalvey/Kilcloon AC), Becky Woods (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Bryony Treston (Dundrum South Dublin AC); Under-23 Men (13.20): Brendan O'Neill (Dundrum South Dublin AC), John Coghlan (Metro St Brigid's AC), Michael Mulhare (North Laois AC), David

McCarthy (West Waterford AC), Ciarán Ó Lionáird (Leevale AC), David Rooney (Raheny Shamrock AC); Senior Women (14.10): Fionnuala Britton (Sli Cualann AC), Elizabeth Lee (Leevale AC), Siobhán O'Doherty (Borrisokane AC), Kerry Harty (Newcastle AC), Hazel Murphy (Dundrum South Dublin AC); Senior Men (15.05): Joe Sweeney (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers), Dan Mulhare (North Laois AC), Brian Farrell (Sli Cualann AC), Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Gary Thornton (Galway City Harriers).