×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Spanish doc 'treated' athletes, tennis players

Last Updated 29 January 2013, 19:15 IST

Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, accused of masterminding a doping ring in cycling, told a court on Tuesday he also had clients in other sports including soccer, tennis, athletics and boxing after finally taking the stand in a high-profile and much-delayed trial.

Fuentes and four other defendants are appearing before a Madrid judge almost seven years after police seized anabolic steroids, transfusion equipment and blood bags as part of a investigation code-named "Operation Puerto".

The trial has attracted close international scrutiny because anti-doping authorities, who are represented in court, are hopeful it will finally lead to evidence of wrongdoing by athletes in sports other than cycling being made available.

Legal experts say it could also change the way doping issues are dealt with by criminal justice systems around the world.

Fuentes, who denies doping, was due to be cross-examined on Monday on the trial's opening day but his testimony was delayed as Judge Julia Santamaria dealt with procedural issues. Speaking clearly and confidently, Fuentes described in painstaking detail how he would help athletes control the proportion of red cells in their blood by extracting some if the level were too high and injecting stored blood if it were low.

Fuentes told the judge he had worked with athletes from "all kinds" of sports.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 29 January 2013, 19:15 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT