Daniel Plaza

Daniel Plaza Montero (born July 3, 1966 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) is a Spanish former race walker. Plaza is most famous for having won the 20 km walk at the 1992 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Spanish track & field athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal.

Plaza tested positive for the steroid nandrolone after the 1996 Spanish championships but denied taking it. He claimed the test result was due to prolonged oral sex with his pregnant wife (pregnant women may produce the steroid).

It took ten years, but in July 2006 he won a case to clear his name of a drugs ban. Spain's Supreme Court found in his favor after he took legal action over a two-year ban imposed by the Spanish Committee for Sporting Discipline.

He tested negative in further tests for the drug which normally takes three months to disappear from the system.

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Spain
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 12th 20 km 1:21:53
1989 World Race Walking Cup L'Hospitalet, Spain 11th 20 km 1:22:09
1990 European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 2nd 20 km 1:22:22
1991 World Race Walking Cup San Jose, United States 4th 20 km 1:21:00
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 1st 20 km 1:21:45
1993 World Race Walking Cup Monterrey, Mexico 6th 20 km 1:24:52
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 3rd 20 km 1:23:18
1996 European Race Walking Cup La Coruña, Spain 2nd 20 km
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 11th 20 km 1:22:05

References