Spain’s Meca grabs 25km open water gold

MONTREAL (Reuters) – Spain’s David Meca, who was once
banned for two years on a doping charge, won the men’s 25km
open water event at the world championships Saturday.

Meca posted a time of five hours 21.4 seconds to finish 2.2
seconds clear of Australia’s Brendan Capell.

Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria claimed his second bronze of the
championships in a time of 5:00:28.4.

Meca tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone at a
marathon World Cup event in Brazil in 1999.

He appealed against his two-year suspension to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport and had it reduced to one year.

Meca is attempting to take his case to the European Court
of Human Rights in an effort to clear his name.

The Spaniard took silver in the 5km event at the 2000 world
championships.

Meca also won silver in the 25km competition and a bronze
in the 10km at the 2003 world championships in Barcelona.