Spanish court drops doping case against Dominguez

A Spanish judge on Monday threw out a case against world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez for allegedly administering medication to a friend without a licence. The decision follows a previous verdict delivered in April to clear the 35-year-old of trafficking in performance-enhancing drugs. Dominguez, who won the 3,000m steeplechase gold in Berlin in 2009 after taking silver in the 5,000m in 2003 and 2001, was one of 14 people detained for questioning in December as part of a probe into doping in Spanish athletics. Six of the 14 suspects were charged with public health offences and trafficking in illegal substances, including Dominguez' coach Cezar Perez. Dominguez repeatedly denied the allegations against her, although in an interview published in January she said she had recommended an "authorised" treatment to an athlete friend who was injured. Dominguez, who is expecting her first child, has said she plans to return to competition once she has recuperated after her pregnancy. She had already announced that she would not defend her world title in the 2011 event in the South Korean city of Daegu because of her pregnancy but intended to return next year to compete in the London Olympics.