WADA CONSIDERS APPEAL AGAINST SPAIN COURT RULE

Montreal: The World AntiDoping Agency is considering appealing the ruling of a Spanish court which ordered the destruction of evidence in the Operation Puerto trial despite finding Dr Eufemiano Fuentes guilty of endangering public health and giving him a one-year suspended jail sentence.

Wada director general David Howman said access to the evidence was what originally motivated Wada’s involvement in the case and the pursuit of sanctions “against the cheats who used Dr Fuentes’ services” in cycling and other sports.

“The decision to order the destruction of the blood bags is particularly disappointing and unsatisfactory for ... the whole anti-doping community,” Howman said in a statement.

He said Wada was reviewing options with its Spanish legal advisers before the May 17 deadline for appeals in the case, and would not make any further comment until that date.

Spanish doctor Fuentes was convicted on Tuesday, barred from medical practice in sports for four years and ordered to pay a $6,000 fine.

Judge Julia Santamaria said more than 100 blood bags seized seven years ago when police raided Fuentes' clinics in Madrid should be destroyed. That would rule out any possible investigations by officials of Wada and Spain’s national antidoping body, who have said they want to examine the bags to identify all the athletes involved. — AP