Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno reportedly was questioned by Spanish police following her expulsion from the Beijing Olympics for doping.
Moreno, the first athlete to be thrown out of the games following a positive doping test, was questioned by police in the Spanish town of Lleida in the company of her lawyer, according to the Spanish reports.
Moreno said on her Web site that she would leave the matter to her lawyers, who would “represent her in the corresponding legal process.”
Moreno left the games July 31 due to an anxiety attack, which came after a doping test. On Aug. 11, the International Olympic Committee expelled her from the Olympics after that test returned a positive result for EPO, a blood-boosting hormone that enhances endurance.
Under Spanish anti-doping legislation, Moreno could face fines of between euro1,500 (US$2,215) and euro12,000 (US$17,722) if found guilty of a doping offense.
The Spanish province of Aragon has since revoked its sponsorship of Moreno, while Spanish investment group Multicaja also withdrew its sponsorship of the Moreno-led club of Sabinanigo cycling team.
The 27-year-old Moreno was the first athlete to test positive at the Olympics. North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su and Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do have since failed doping tests.