Spanish doping suspects to be barred from competition

Spain's sports oversight body is about to approve a resolution preventing athletes under investigation for doping from participating in national competitions inside and outside Spain.

The secretary of state for sport, Albert Soler, said on Wednesday that through this measure, the Superior Sports Council (CSD) aims to preserve "the world image" of Spanish sports.

"If a sportsman or woman representing our country through participation in a national team is involved in a doping case, the consequences are not just for that person but for the entire team, since the results obtained thus far could be annulled, and also for Spain's image, which is seriously deteriorated. Hence the need to use all necessary means to prevent this from happening," explained Soler.

Soler said the CSD will not fund the participation of suspect athletes in national teams. This could bar individuals such as European champion Nuria Fernández and the sprinter Digna Luz Murillo from competition, since both have been implicated in Operation Galgo, an ongoing Civil Guard investigation into doping in athletics. One of the most famous arrests in the case was that of Marta Domínguez, the world steeplechase champion.

Soler also underscored the national drive against doping in sports in recent years. "Our fight is about zero tolerance. We have invested millions of euros and developed police operations that put us at the forefront of the criminal fight against doping."