|
|
[SAMPLE ISSUE] TRACK PROFILE REPORT #68 17-October-2003 [ The TRACK PROFILE REPORT is written, compiled and edited by Bob Ramsak. Copyright (c) 2003 by Bob Ramsak and TRACK RROFILE. All rights reserved. Reproduction, republication and retransmission in any form is strictly prohibited without express permission from the editor. Small portions may be reproduced only if accompanied by source citation and *advance* notice in writing to Track Profile. More info at http://www.trackprofile.com ] ----- ----------------------------------------- The TRACK PROFILE Report is sponsored in part by Shooting Star Media, Inc., publisher of the magazines American Track & Field, ATF Athletes Only, and California Track & Running News. Besides its publications, Shooting Star Media manages three websites and is an advertising representative for The Running Network, a group of 28 regional and national specialty running magazines. American Track & Field [ www.american-trackandfield.com ] is a professional magazine geared to coaches, athletes and enthusiasts of track & field, race walking, road racing and cross country running. Links to all Shooting Star Media publications can be found on its website at http://www.shootingstarmediainc.com . ------ ----------------------------------------- --------------- INSIDE --------------- 01. Toth and THG: "I've never even heard of it." 02. News and Notes: Christian Olsson on drug testing, Chicago Marathon Report resend 03. About TPR ----------------------------- [01] - Toth and THG: "I've never even heard of it." ----------------------------- In it's ever-searching quest for more visibility, the attention and the headlines over the past few days --some of it front page-- weren't the kind the sport of track and field has been looking for. On training fields, gyms and internet discussion boards around the world, track & field athletes, fans, coaches and journalists are bracing themselves for yet another drug scandal, this one characterized by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency as "intentional doping of the worst sort." The agency, which oversees drug testing for all United States Olympic Committee (USOC)- affiliated sports, announced yesterday that a test developed this summer for a previously undetectable designer steroid, tetrahydrogestrinone, or THG, has resulted in several positive "A" sample tests. The USADA did not release any names, pending confirmation of athletes' "B" samples, but in an article in this morning's Washington Post, staff writer Amy Shipley cited "sources with knowledge of the investigation" that U.S. shot put champion Kevin Toth is among the athletes who tested positive. "I've never even heard of it," Toth told TPR this afternoon, when asked about the substance at the center of the USADA's announcement yesterday. Stunned by the accusation, Toth, who finished fourth at August's World Track & Field Championships in Paris, wouldn't offer any additional comment, but said that he will issue a statement early next week that he said will "spell the whole thing out." The 35 year-old Toth, who's throw of 74 feet, four and a half inches in April was the best performance in the world since 1990, has been among the best shot putters in the U.S. for more than a decade. Toth's event has been riddled with doping scandals over the past two decades, resulting in increased skepticism on the part of fans, a decrease in performance levels by its competitors, and fewer competitive opportunities for the event's top athletes in lucrative meets in Europe and elsewhere. Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus won the shot put title at the world championships, just 19 days after returning from a two-year doping ban. After the competition, Toth wouldn't comment on Mikhnevich's ban and subsequent return. "I don't really pay attention too much to anybody else's business," Toth said in Paris. "That's his life, not mine." Asked again to comment by another reporter, Toth added, "I don't really care what other people do. I know what I'm capable of doing." In its statement on Thursday, USADA described tetrahydrogestrinone as a steroid with a chemical structure similar to other prohibited steroids, but previously undetectable in drug tests. In June, the USADA received a used syringe containing the substance from an anonymous, self-described "high-profile" track and field coach. The contents of the syringe were handed over to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) accredited anti-doping laboratory at UCLA, where Dr. Don Catlin, the head of the laboratory, identified the substance and later assisted UCLA with developing a test for the steroid. In the last few days, the statement continued, several samples collected in-competition at the 2003 USA Track & Field Championships, along with samples collected out-of-competition that were retested, came back positive. A positive "B" sample would result in a two-year suspension. "What we have uncovered appears to be intentional doping of the worst sort," said USADA Chief Executive Officer Terry Madden. "This is a far cry from athletes accidentally testing positive as a result of taking contaminated nutritional supplements. Rather, this is a conspiracy involving chemists, coaches and certain athletes using what they developed to be 'undetectable' designer steroids to defraud their fellow competitors and the American and world public who pay to attend sports events." The athletes, USA Track and Field (USATF), the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the USOC have all been notified of the positive "A" sample results. A statement issued Friday morning by the IAAF, the sport's international governing body, read that "the cases are currently under due process and, according to standard procedure, the IAAF will make comments only if B sample analyses confirm the results of positive A samples." THG, or tetrahydrogestrinone, the statement continued, "is a chemically related compound of gestrinone, a prohibited substance." The self-described coach who provided the syringe to USADA identified the source of tetrahydrogestrinone as Victor Conte of the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratories Co-Operative) Laboratory in Burlingame, CA. The lab provides nutritional guidance muscle-building supplements to athletes ranging from Olympic track gold medallist Marion Jones and world champion Kelli White to baseball slugger Barry Bonds and lienbacker Bill Romanowski of the Oakland Raiders. "Because this information pointed to potentially illegal activity by the distributor of a controlled substance," the anti-doping agency's statement said, "USADA contacted the United States Department of Justice." As part of wider-reaching probe, Conte's lab was searched by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force on September 3. Several high profile athletes, coaches and others who have been or are clients of Conte's lab have been issued subpoenas to testify before a grand jury investigation. Kelli White, who may lose her two sprint gold medals --and $120,000 in prize money-- after testing positive for the mild stimulant modafinil at the world championships, told the San Francisco Chronicle that she has been cooperating with the investigation, but couldn't elaborate. "I've gotten all my tests back from USADA, and all my tests are fine," White told the Chronicle. During it's teleconference yesterday, USADA conceded it didn't know the identity of the coach, or if he even is a coach, and that it only has his word that the source of the substance is Conte's BALCO laboratory. While some have suggested that the anonymous coach may have simply had an axe to grind by coming forward, Richard Pound, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said he was very pleased with the information, regardless of how it reached the USADA. "All of this stuff, the activity and the research and the application is clandestine," Pound said, speaking on the CBC radio program 'As It Happens' earlier this evening. "One of the sources of information are whistle-blowers and I must say... I encourage that with all my heart. Let's get this thing cleaned up." Pound also said that athletes aren't the only ones who should be punished. "Yes the athletes have to pay their portion of the price, but I think that any coach or any medical practitioner who's been involved in this should be disciplined probably even more than the athletes." USATF, criticized in the past for its handling of doping cases, issued a statement yesterday lauding USADA's efforts. "USA Track & Field does not know the full details of the cases, as they are exclusively under USADA jurisdiction," the statement said, "but we strongly believe that all those responsible for drugs in sport, including supplement laboratories, chemists, coaches, and athletes, should be held accountable for their actions." "The vast majority of track and field athletes are committed to competing clean," the USATF statement continued, "and just last week, track and field athletes gathered in Miami at a historic 'Elite Athlete Summit' hosted by USATF to tackle doping and other issues." At the gathering, the statement said, "there were near unanimous calls to severely punish the coaches of athletes convicted of doping offenses. Some attendees supported a form of 'whistle-blower' program in which those within the sport could keep drug-testers informed of trends in drug use, and where to test in order to find users of those drugs." "One conclusion from our Elite Athlete Summit, and now from USADA's announcement, is that it is vital that we continue to proactively root out cheaters and those individuals who encourage cheating. This sets a standard for other Olympic and professional sports to follow, and helps protect the reputations of the vast majority of track athletes who are not cheating." Also at the press conference, USADA announced that after 350 urine samples were resubmitted for testing, more samples tested positive for modafinil, the stimulant found in White's sample in August. White said then that she was prescribed the medication to treat narcolepsy. It was later confirmed that U.S. hurdler Chris Phillips also tested positive for modafinil. ----------------------- [02] - News and Notes ----------------------- ... Speaking [way] before yesterday's USADA announcement, world triple jump champion Christian Olsson said he believes that drug testing is beginning to work. "I think there's been a little more [doping] control the past few seasons, and I think that's good," the Swede told TPR in Monaco in mid-September, after winning the World Athletics Final title. "The controls need [bigger] budgets, and I think they've done it. I feel that it's getting harder and harder for the cheaters to get away with it." The Swede, undefeated in 15 competitions outdoors this season, said he was tested ten times in-competition this year, and "two or three times" out of competition. "The development and the progress with how they do tests has gotten better and better, and the doctors know what they are looking for. It's getting and harder for the cheaters." ... After filing a report from Sunday's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, several emails bounced back undeliverable. I apologize for the mix-up, and am looking into more reliable distribution methods. If you didn't receive TPR's report from Chicago, you can read it in full on the IAAF's website at www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=23384.html. ... Earlier this week, USATF named David Raith its Director of Events and Broadcasting. Raith, who brings 21 years of experience in international event management, programming and television production to his new position, will oversee all key USATF events, including the 2004 Olympic Trials and the Indoor and Outdoor Golden Spike Tours. ... Tilburg, NED (2005), San Giorgio su Legnano, ITA (2006) and Toro, ESP (2007) will play host to upcoming editions of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, the European Athletics Association announced last weekend at it's Council meeting in Edinburgh. ... Website update - During TPR's 11-week European tour, nearly 130 articles were filed for various newspapers, magazines, websites and newsletters. Links to all articles that are archived on the world wide web are now posted on the Track Profile website at www.trackprofile.com . ----------------------- [03] - Upcoming Exclusive Coverage ----------------------- Sunday, October 19 - Columbus Marathon, Columbus, Ohio, USA Sunday, November 2 - ING New York City Marathon ----------------------- [04] - About TPR ----------------------- The TRACK PROFILE REPORT is a news and feature-oriented newsletter published by the Track Profile News Service. In addition to regularly dispatched profile and interview features, subscribers also receive exclusive on-site updates from major national and international competitions, usually within 24 hours. Subscriptions: $35/year. To make payment arrangements, send an email to bob@trackprofile.com or you can pay by credit card via paypal at trackprofile.com/dispatch.html . END - TRACK PROFILE REPORT #68, 17-October-2003 More about The TRACK PROFILE Report  |
|
|
TRACK PROFILE News Service | Piran, Slovenia AND Cleveland, Ohio USA | Tel - +386.31.490.208 | Fax - +39.02.954.41.418 | email - bob@trackprofile.com |
|
Unless otherwise noted, all contents on this website are compiled, edited and written by Bob Ramsak for TRACK PROFILE. All images and text copyright © Bob Ramsak and Track Profile. All rights reserved. |