Alberto García
Encyclopedia
Alberto García (born 22 February 1971 in Madrid
, Spain
) is a Spanish long-distance and cross-country runner.
and then finished 49th in the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. In the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
he ran the long race and came in 29th. He failed to qualify for the 5000 metres finals at the 1999 World Championships
and 2000 Olympics
, but then came fourth in the 5000 metres at the 2001 World Championships
and in the following year he became the European 5000 metres champion at the 2002 European Athletics Championships.
After serving a two year suspension for doping, Garcia returned to competitive athletics. He finished second in the 2005 European Cross Country Championships
behind Serhiy Lebid, and won the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
. On the track, he was unable to reach the best times that he had recorded before his suspension.
García competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the 5000 metres, but did not qualify from the heats.
(EPO), following a control carried out on 29 March 2003 at Lausanne after the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. For this he received a two year ban from competition.
On 9 December 2010 García was arrested and questioned in relation to his involvement in a Spanish athletics doping ring as part of Operation Galgo, an investigation being carried out by the Guardia Civil. On release from questioning he strongly denied to the press that he had engaged in drug trafficking.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) is a Spanish long-distance and cross-country runner.
Career
Garcia's top-level athletic career took off when he was already approaching his thirties. He first came to prominence with a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the Mediterranean Games at Bari in 1997. The following year he finished 19th in the short race at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
and then finished 49th in the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
. In the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 28th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 18-19 March 2000 in Vilamoura, Portugal.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
he ran the long race and came in 29th. He failed to qualify for the 5000 metres finals at the 1999 World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
and 2000 Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, but then came fourth in the 5000 metres at the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 5000 metres
These are the official results of the Men's 5.000 metres event at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. There were a total number of 35 participating athletes, with the final held on Friday August 10, 2001.-Medalists:-Records:-Final:...
and in the following year he became the European 5000 metres champion at the 2002 European Athletics Championships.
After serving a two year suspension for doping, Garcia returned to competitive athletics. He finished second in the 2005 European Cross Country Championships
2005 European Cross Country Championships
The 12th European Cross Country Championships were held at Tilburg in Netherlands on 11 December 2005. Serhiy Lebid won the men's competition for the sixth time and Lornah Kiplagat won the women's race.-Men individual 9.84km:Total 90 competitors-Men teams:...
behind Serhiy Lebid, and won the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
The Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños is a cross country running competition that takes place in Venta de Baños, Castile and León, Spain. The competition was first held in 1980 and since then it has been held every year in mid-December...
. On the track, he was unable to reach the best times that he had recorded before his suspension.
García competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the 5000 metres, but did not qualify from the heats.
Doping history
In May 2003 it was announced that Garcia had tested positive for the banned blood-booster ErythropoietinErythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
(EPO), following a control carried out on 29 March 2003 at Lausanne after the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
. For this he received a two year ban from competition.
On 9 December 2010 García was arrested and questioned in relation to his involvement in a Spanish athletics doping ring as part of Operation Galgo, an investigation being carried out by the Guardia Civil. On release from questioning he strongly denied to the press that he had engaged in drug trafficking.
Records
- 1500 m: 3.35,69 (2001)
- Mile: 3.58,81 (1998)
- 2000 m: 4.56,08 (1997)
- 3000 m: 7.36,53 (2001)
- 5000 m: 13.02,54 (2001)
- 10000 m: 27.46,12 (1999)