I’m not suggesting anything, but next time you see Tiger Woods’ giant biceps, this story may give you pause. Dr. Tony Galea, whose revolutionary “blood spinning” techniques helped Woods recover from knee surgery, is being charged with three counts of illegally importing and selling drugs.
Galea is popular in the sports world, and his patients have included Olympic gold medalists, NFL players, and NHL players. Most notable on the list of “illegal” drugs is Actovegin, which is a drug containing extracts of calf’s blood. It promotes healing and increases stamina, and has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Actovegin is also not approved for sale in Canada – part of the reason for Galea’s pending legal issues.
Galea claims that the charges are due to a misunderstanding because while not approved by Canadian health authorities, he is permitted to use the drugs by the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons. The other drugs, less related to sports, are Ambien (a sleep aid) and Vicodin.
Again: I am in no way suggesting that Tiger Woods is using performance-enhancing drugs. But these allegations could not have come at a worse time for Woods. And if we’ve learned anything these past two weeks, it’s that we don’t know Tiger as well as we thought we did. Previously, being tied to controversial doctors has not bode well for other athletes. What do you think? Is it possible that Tiger has been cheating on more than just his wife?