José Luis Blanco Quevedo[a] (born 3 June 1975 in Lloret de Mar) is a Spanish middle-distance runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase. Blanco won a silver medal in this event at the 2006 European Championships and the bronze medal at the 2010 European Championships, later being stripped of the latter.
Career
At the 2006 European Championships, in a contest where pre-race favourite Simon Vroemen was ruled out due to food poisoning, Blanco tried to outrun the pack of competitors after the first three-thirds which were somewhat slow. Accelerating with 500 metres to go, Blanco led the race with one lap left. With 150 metres left, he was overcome by Jukka Keskisalo, but hung on to second place.[1]
His personal best time is 8:12.86 minutes, achieved in Huelva in June 2006.[2]
After winning the bronze medal at the 2010 European Championships, it was revealed that Blanco had tested positive for erythropoietin at the Spanish Championships earlier that year. He received a two-year doping ban and would be stripped of his bronze medal which would go to the fourth placer, Ion Luchianov.[3]
Blanco also competed in cross-country running, featuring at the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 World Cross Country Championships, with his best placement being a 27th place from 2002.[2]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 6th | 3000m steeplechase | 8:39.85 |
| 1997 | European U23 Championships | Turku, Finland | 6th | 3000m steeplechase | 8:42.86 |
| 2000 | Ibero-American Championships | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:28.44 |
| 2001 | Mediterranean Games | Radès, Tunisia | 2nd | 3000 m steeple | 8:34.94 |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 8th | 3000 m steeple | 8:17.16 |
| 2004 | Ibero-American Championships | Huelva, Spain | 4th | 3000 m steeple | 8:39.39 |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 14th | 3000 m steeple | 8:24.62 |
| 2006 | European Championships | Göteborg, Sweden | 2nd | 3000 m steeple | 8:26.22 |
| 2009 | Mediterranean Games | Pescara, Italy | 6th | 3000 m steeple | 8:38.54 |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | DQ | 3000 m steeple | |
| Continental Cup | Split, Croatia | DQ | 3000 m steeple |
