'A serious knock'

Spain official vows to avoid Muehlegg scandal repeat

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Spain moved to distance itself from Olympic skier Johann Muehlegg, who was stripped of one of his three gold medals, pledging measures Wednesday to avoid any similar doping scandal recurring in the future.

"Spanish sport has taken a serious knock because of the reprehensible conduct in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee of one of its athletes," the deputy minister for sport, Juan Antonio Gomez Angulo, said on arrival back in Madrid from the Olympics in Salt Lake City.

"There will be a before and after with the Muehlegg case in terms of combating doping," added Gomez Angulo. He pledged "as many measures as necessary to avoid such cases happening again."

Gomez Angulo gave no clues as to what measures would be taken but said he may present details in his appearance before Parliament in the coming weeks to explain the scandal.

Spain's sporting image took a hammering last Sunday when the German-born Spanish skier was stripped of a third gold medal for the 50K after testing positive for darbepoetin, which boosts production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

A "B" sample test on Monday confirmed the positive test.

The skier, who competed for Germany in three Olympics before becoming a Spanish national, didn't return with the rest of the team as scheduled. He had also been scheduled to receive a hero's welcome. An audience with Spain's King Juan Carlos was canceled after the test proved positive.

But Gomez Angulo dismissed several European press reports alleging that the case reflected Spain's lax attitude toward doping.

"Condemnation of this conduct, for which one individual is responsible, can not be extended to cover ... all Spanish athletes," said Gomez Angulo, who argued that the country's record on doping was clean.

"No country can avoid an athlete, in a given moment and circumstance, breaking the rules," he added.

The official's attitude was echoed by Muehlegg's Spanish Olympic team members.

"It's the end for Muehlegg," said Carlo Petrini, Spain's cross-country skiing coach. "If he had been clean he surely would have won a gold medal as well but he wanted the three medals, the money and to go down in history."

Muehlegg, 31, now faces a possible two-year suspension.

There has been no reaction from Muehlegg since the second test. It is not known when the skier, who has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence, will return to Spain.

Gomez Angulo, nonetheless, defended Muehlegg's first two golds in the 10K and 30K freestyle events saying the IOC would have stripped him of these if he had won them unfairly.

Petrini disagreed.

"How can one see the other two medals as clean," he told the leading sports daily Marca. "If they don't take the other two golds away they will lose all merit."

 

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