The Dominican athlete Luguelín Santos is being investigated by international sports authorities for alleged falsification of documents, the sprinter himself confirmed on his social networks.
Santos, double Olympic medalist in the 400-meter ready and 4×400 relay, is temporarily suspended from all national and international competition while the investigation culminates. As reported by the athlete himself, the investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit answers false information in a passport when he was still a minor.
The 400-meter specialist revealed this Friday through his Twitter account that he pleaded guilty from the beginning of the investigation by accepting that his passport was one year younger than his actual age when he was still competing at the youth level. The sprinter won the gold medal at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games and the 2012 Barcelona Youth World Championships, but he would have one more year with whom he ran. He later won the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
“I greatly regret what happened at that time, and without intending to evade responsibilities, I want to explain that in those years I was a young man under 18 years of age, with few resources, and little education, from Bayaguana, who simply followed the guidelines of those who They directed me in my sports career back then,” Santos wrote on his social network.
“At the moment I have a provisional suspension of all competition, which we have been complying with, and we are waiting for the final sanction from said Integrity Unit, which we will fully respect,” he added in his letter.
Due to this situation, the athlete from Quisqueyan, who studied at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico and saw action in the Inter-University Athletic League, could be stripped of the youth gold medal and is exposed to a possible suspension of up to four years, according to transcended.
In addition, he will miss the Central American and Caribbean Games that start next week in San Salvador.
“I was wrong back then and for that I apologize to all of Dominican society, but with equal pride I will continue to defend the best interests of our athletes and our country,” he concluded.
