Sport

19 top sportsmen named in “ozone doctor” case

The judicial authorities have completed their investigation into the so-called “ozone doctor” from the Flemish Brabant village of Rotselaar. Magistrate will now decide whether or not he will appear in court. According to an article in Friday’s edition of the daily ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ 19 professional sportsmen are named in the investigation. Although they don’t risk prosecution they do risk sanctions from the professional bodies that govern their sports.

Two and a half years ago the judicial authorities started looking into the activities of a doctor from the Flemish Brabant village of Rotselaar.

The cyclo-cross rider Tom Meeusen was withdrawn from competition for a time as he was a patient of the doctor.

The doctor specialises in ozone therapy, a controversial treatment in which a sportspersons blood is enriched with ozone. He is accused of having carried out three illegal actions in the treatment he gave to the sportsmen: ozone therapy, dip-feeding sportspeople certain drugs and assisting them in breaking the law on doping.

Sarah Callewaert of the Leuven Judicial authorities told the paper that "The doctor in question has committed three infringements of the anti-doping law."

"First of all there is the ozone therapy, second there is the administration of drips and thirdly he is believed to have helped sports people break the doping law”.

"Leuven Magistrates will decide on 14 November whether the case will be heard at Crown Court”, Ms Callewaert added.

Whatever happens, the 19 unnamed sportsmen will not appear in court. However, if their names are passed on to the Flemish body that deals with doping. It could decide to take disciplinary measures against the sportsmen.
 

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