PHOENIX, Arizona, Decemebr 15. OLYMPIC swimmer Dara Torres is one of many professional athletes connected to a doctor under suspicion of providing performance-enhancing drugs, according to a story published today in The New York Times<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Torres' involvement with Dr. Anthony Galea does not involve performance-enhancing drugs, the story states. Torres met with Galea earlier this fall when seeking advice and treatment for her injured knee.<\/p>\n
From The New York Times<\/i>:<\/p>\n
"He found a tear in my quad tendon that was undiagnosed," Torres said in an e-mail message. "Excluding draining my knee, he has never treated me, but I did see his chiropractor who did soft-tissue work on my leg. That was the extent of my visit with him."<\/b><\/p>\n
The newspaper does not list any other swimmers who have had any involvement with Galea, who was stopped at the U.S.-Canada border in September for possessing the drug Actovegin, a product of calf's blood, that athletes say can help speed the recovery process after surgery. It is is illegal in the United States and Canada, but not yet banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. <\/p>\n
Galea is scheduled to stand trial in Canada for smuggling illegal drugs and criminal conspiracy, and the FBI is investigating medical information found on Galea's laptop in the September arrest.<\/p>\n
Another of Galea's top athletes was Tiger Woods. Other athletes mentioned in the story said their involvement with Galea involved knee surgeries outside the United States, since Galea's methods and drugs used in rehabilitation were not approved in the United States. The story also states that Galea gave human growth hormone to his non-athlete patients, but never prescirbed the performance-enhancing drug to athletes.<\/p>\n