The RFEA published a letter sent to Dominguez by President Jose Maria Odriozola in which he informed her of the decision to provisionally suspend her after her home was raided yesterday and she was temporarily taken into custody.

"Given the events of yesterday relating to an alleged doping scheme in which you were implicated ...I have decided to provisionally suspend your term as vice president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation," Odriozola wrote.

With her trademark pink headband and matching running shoes, Dominguez is one of Spain's most popular athletes and was European Athlete of the Year in 2009 having won the gold medal in the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the World Championships in Berlin.

Earlier this year in Barcelona she won a silver medal in 3,000m steeplechase in the European Championships, having claimed gold in the 5,000m in 2002 and 2006.

Last month the 35-year-old announced that she will not defend her world title in Daegu next year as she is pregnant for the first time and would shift her focus to preparing for the 2012 Olympics in London, which would be her fourth Games.

The fact that she had been released from police custody under suspicion of trafficking and distributing banned substances had badly damaged the image of Spanish athletics, Odriozola added.

"I hope that these charges are swiftly resolved and we can learn the extent of your implication in this scheme as soon as possible," the letter concluded.

Authorities said last night police had taken 14 people in for questioning around the country as part of an anti-doping operation known as "Galgo", which is Spanish for "Greyhound".

Sports doctors, pharmacists, trainers, coaches, representatives and sportspeople were among those detained, suspected of crimes against public health, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.


Spanish television showed images of police taking items from Dominguez's home in Palencia, merging with a laptop, a briefcase and a box.

On the Civil Guard's official report, the initials M.D. are listed as "an athlete and supplier of doping substances".

Anabolic steroids, hormones, bags of blood, documents relating to doping and other material used for blood transfusions were among the material seized in raids on 15 different residences, according to the Civil Guard.

Those initials are the only ones listed concerning raids in Palencia.

Police said the operation began back in April when they became aware of a group of people who appeared to be helping sports people at the highest level to use drugs.

Among those detained were people implicated in the 2006 Operation Puerto anti-doping probe which rocked the world of cycling, including sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Reactions to the doping charges ranged from incredulity to shame.

"The girlfriend of Spain" had "betrayed" her country, the daily El Mundo wrote.

Doping suspicions against an athlete who had been seen as a "model of overcoming and sacrifice" constituted a big blow to Spanish athletics, the daily said.

Other commentators stressed that Dominguez had not yet been proven guilty.

"All of Spain loves Marta," said Heliodoro Gallego, the Mayor of of Palencia, where a street and a sports hall have been named after her.