My best times were 49.7, 1:53.0 and 4:04.4. As a veteran (over 40), I started running marathons and have run 30 races. My personal best is 2:34:34, which I achieved in 1983, in Barcelona. In 1979, I finished 5th over 800m at the World Veterans Championships in Hanover.

What do you personally gain from the sport?
Self-confidence, contacts with people from all over the world, a healthy lifestyle and a mental approach which helps me achieve my goals.

Is there an athlete or a moment in particular that inspired you?
When I was young, I especially admired Peter Snell (triple Olympic Champion 800m/1500m in 1960 and 1964) and Herb Elliot (1960 Olympic Champion at 1500m). Of course, for me, there are also special memories connected to the victories of Spanish athletes such as Fermin Cacho in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Martin Fiz at the 1995 World Championships in Göteborg or Abel Anton at the World Championships in Athens (1997) and Seville (1999).

Have you ever been involved in athletics in a different way, as a coach or official, or been active in other sports?
Before I started running competitively, I was involved in swimming competitions and had some local success. During my years as a University student in Madrid I also played Rugby and, for several years my club "Cisneros" was champion of Spain. I was also selected to play for the national team. This sport gave me the opportunity to enjoy myself in the winter while waiting for the athletics season to start in the summer. For years, I was President of an athletic club (Canguro, founded in 1956 and still in existence). This led to my nomination as a Board Member of the Spanish Federation in 1967 where my first post was as Team Leader of the National Teams. I left the Board to work in the USA (Harvard University) after being granted a three year Fellowship in Biochemistry Research. In 1981, I returned as a Board Member and I am still involved today.

Do you have children. Are they active in the sports world?
In 1970, I married a Swedish woman called Gunilla and we have two boys, Pekka and Gorka. They have always being very active in sports, especially in football and tennis. They have also taken part in several road races with the aim of trying to beat me. I must admit that after several attempts they succeeded.

Could you explain more about your work as a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Madrid?
I studied Biological Sciences in the University of Madrid and after obtaining my degree I entered the field of Lipid Metabolism research which led me to a PhD in Biochemistry.

I went to Cambridge (Mass, USA) to work for three years as a Research Fellow in the Harvard University Chemistry Department before returning to the University of Madrid as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry. In 1981, I became a Biochemistry Professor in the University of Leon, and in 1984, I was successful in obtaining the same position at my "alma mater", Madrid.

I have taught Metabolic Regulation to students in three Faculties and for many years have been involved in researching related matters with a special emphasis on "Biochemistry and Nutrition in Sport".

What are your hobbies and interests?
In recent years, due to my work at the University and in athletics, I haven't had much time for hobbies. But I have always enjoyed music, the theatre and movies. Taking advantage of any free time during my trips to the many competitions which I am required to attend, my favourite pastime is to walk the streets observing local people, their cultures and architecture.

As President of the RFEA, how would you account for Spain's success in athletics, most particularly in the middle and long distance events?
I was first elected as President in January 1989 and at the fantastic Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992, Spanish athletics excelled itself, and has continued to improve since then. Our objectives are based on the long term, taking special care in the development of all athletic specialities for athletes of all ages. It's a fact that most of our success has been in middle and long distance events including race walking. Nevertheless, we have also had champions in decathlon, long jump and shot put. It was during this phase that we placed Spanish athletics on the map, with a good programme of economic grants for athletes, skill improvement for more than 100 Spanish coaches and organising an extensive calendar of indoor, outdoor, cross country and road race competitions.

Looking back to 1999, could you explain the impact that the World Championships had in Seville and throughout Spain?
The World Championships in Seville was a huge success. This was largely due to the fantastic atmosphere throughout the championships created by the good performances and success of the participating Spanish athletes. This event gave athletics in Spain a lot of public attention and recognition, so, our potential with regard to important sponsors, increased. And perhaps the most obvious legacy of the championships is the magnificent stadium of Seville where the annual Grand Prix II Meetings is now held.

The question of national allegiance is currently a major topic of discussion. What is your opinion on the subject? And how do you explain why so many athletes are changing allegiance in favour of some countries (Spain, France, United States)? (Linguistic similarities, financial support, training support and facilities…)
In a "global" world, it's normal for people to move from one country to another, in search of a better life, new and challenging work opportunities or simply for a change. In my field, many biochemists travel to the USA to work for a number of years. Some even remain there and become US citizens, like Severo Ochoa, Nobel Prize winner.

At the top level, athletics is a profession, therefore it's normal for athletes to try and improve their earning potentiual or to achieve better athletic results. In the Spanish Athletic Federation, we are not in favour of "importing" athletes just to improve our position. In the past decade or so, we have only had three well known cases (Sandra Myers, Yousef El Nasri and Niurka Montalvo). In reality, we receive many requests from Spanish speaking athletes and those coming from North Africa but we don't try and speed up the normal procedures. There are laws and several years of residence are necessary before a person can become a Spanish citizen. However, we do feel that if a person is looking for a better chance to train or develop a successful athletic career which is not possible in another country, then they should have the right to change. Furthermore, if the law is respected and an athlete becomes a citizen of another country, he/she should have the right to compete in the respective national team.

Spain has organised many IAAF competitions in recent years, culminating in the 1999 World Championships in Seville. Is bidding for major events still a part of the Spanish federation's strategy?
During the 1990s, the Spanish Federation organised more IAAF/EAA main athletic events than any other Federation in the world. However, there are still a few events which we have never organised, like the European Championships or the World Junior Championships. We feel that organising major events is positive for the continuing well-being and popularity of sport in Spain and our aim is to continue with this philosophy. Presently, we are candidates for the 2006 European Championships (Barcelona) and the 2002 IAAF World Cup (Madrid). My hope is to obtain them both.

You have been outspoken in your views on anti-doping in sport. What do you think the IAAF needs to change in its anti-doping policy?
For me, as a member of the Spanish National Anti Doping Commission and also as member of the IAAF Council, the fight against doping is fundamental. We need to maintain the ethics and good health of our sport. The IAAF remains a front runner amongst other sport federations regarding this matter.

However, I also think we must improve the effectiveness of our out-of-competition programme. The co-operation of all National Federations is fundamental in this respect.

I hope that this will be possible and that the IAAF continues to serve as an example to other Federations in the effective fight against doping.