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[SAMPLE ISSUE - Excerpt] TRACK PROFILE REPORT #83 23-February-2004 [Note: Distributed 23-February-2004 AM, Posted 25-Feb-2004 AM] [ The TRACK PROFILE REPORT is written, compiled and edited by Bob Ramsak. Copyright (c) 2004 by Bob Ramsak and TRACK PROFILE. All rights reserved. Reproduction, republication, reposting 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. Please contact the editor at bob@trackprofile.com for reprint permission. ] ----- ----------------------------------------- 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 [ http://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. The BALCO Probe - Filling in the Blanks? 02. Cantwell Continues to Roll 03. Banamex GP is Back 04. Startlist and Preview - Jumping Gala Tallinn 2004, Tallinn, EST, Wed, Feb. 25 05. World-leading Performances 06. Upcoming in TPR 07. About TPR ----------------------- [01] - The BALCO Probe - Filling in the Blanks? ----------------------- It didn't take long for the BALCO steroid probe to flow across the Atlantic, most specifically, Greece. Citing documents released by federal prosecutors investigating the case, an article in last Sunday's [15-Feb] Observer, a British daily, focused European attention on a possible Greek link to the still-evolving scandal. [ Note: See TPR #79 - 13-Feb-04 for more on the indictments, and the possibility of a Greek connection. ] An email allegedly sent from Victor Conte, Jr., one of the four BALCO probe defendants, to "an international track and field coach," asks the recipient, whose name was redacted, to warn another coach, whose name was also redacted, about what he believed were upcoming tests for a new drug. "We might also want to somehow get this information to the coach for the Greek athletes [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] so that nobody tests positive," the email reads. Last Monday [16-Feb] Andreas Linardatos, a former national level sprinter, told the Athens-based sports daily Goal News that he was the recipient of Conte's August 20, 2002 email. Linardatos told Goal News that he was corresponding with Conte to research a book on doping. Online documents located by TPR suggest that Lindardatos, currently a sprint coach, also had business ties to Conte dating back to at least the fall of 2002. According to domain registry records, Linardatos registered snacsystem.com and snacsystem.gr, websites for the BALCO sister company, SNAC Systems Incorporated, on November 24, 2002. The site provided basic information about the company, and acted as a Greek distributor for Conte's nutritional supplements. The site was disabled sometime between October 19, 2003, when TPR first visited the site, and November 25, 2003, the date recorded as it's last update. Presently, only a "Forbidden" disclaimer appears on the site. Conte prefaced the email with an insistence on secrecy. "I am sending you this email from a new more confidential email address. Please use this for all confidential communication." The email concludes, "I will respond to your questions about the SNAC products from the other email address. The good news is that we got a headsup in time to prevent any positive test results." Linardatos is also listed as the registrant for elitesportservices.com, a company that distributes nutritional supplements, including SNAC products, and training equipment in Greece and provides customized strength training advice. An internet search for Linardatos points to the website, but his name does not appear. A cached version of the website, however, lists Linardatos and another sprinter, Vassilis Stergiou, as the company's directors. Linardatos registered the domain on December 30, 2002. According to registry records, the site was last updated on December 31, 2003, but Linardatos' name no longer appears. Linardatos could not be reached at the telephone number listed on the domain registry, and has not replied to several email requests for comment. While cutting or hiding ties with the beleaguered California firm implies sound business sense, the context of the email Linardatos admits to having received suggests involvement that reaches beyond research and legitimate business development. I need for you to advise [REDACTED] to discontinue using the clear," Conte's email reads. "I recently found out that [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] sent a sample of the clear to IOC testers on an anonymous basis." "The clear" is believed to be his code name for THG, the previously undetectable anabolic steroid "discovered" last June. "This is very unfortunate," the email continues. "I have someone on the inside that recently gave me the headsup regarding this matter. I will be getting more information shortly regarding this matter. However, it seems as though it may be either the Grand Prix or possibly at the World Cup. Apparently, [REDACTED] and company saw the performances of [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] and realized that money was getting ready to be taken from [REDACTED], [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] and they became desperate." Conte's email further suggests that Linardatos acted as a communication conduit with other athletes. "This is why it is so important to work only with athletes that can be completely trusted," Conte wrote, before advising, "It is still okay for [REDACTED] to use the white cream." The February 15 Observer article, written by Duncan Mackay, recounted the recent rocky relationship between Greek coach Christos Tzekos and the IAAF, but stopped short of alleging that Tsekos was the coach whose name was redacted in Conte's email. In 1997, the international governing body banned Tzekos for two years after he "manhandled" a drug control officer at a training camp in Dortmund. During the incident, three of his athletes fled and escaped a random test. In April of 2003, Tsekos faced a disciplinary hearing by the Greek Athletics Federation (SEGAS) after his star athletes, Olympic, world and European 200m champion Konstadinos Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou, the Olympic 100m bronze medallist and European champion, were training in Qatar when they were supposed to be in Hania, Crete. Under IAAF rules, athletes must provide current information on their whereabouts to enable unannounced out-of-competition testing. According to SEGAS, Tzekos said that the athletes would be at their training base in Crete during March and April. In May of last year, the international doping control agency IDTM doubled its staff in Greece after IAAF complaints that Greek athletes were not being made available for out-of-competition testing. In a statement issued after publication of the Observer article, SEGAS President Vassilis Sevastis struck back. "Apparently, all this is an obvious repetition of bad taste of the anti-Hellenic propaganda which casts discredit and insults Hellenic athletics," the statement read. "The only evidence we seem to have is a certain e-mail sent to a Greek coach, the content of which seems to give no specific information." Sevastis concluded, "Let the US justice deal with this case and should new evidence emerge, we'll then see what this is all about. Until then, we do think that respect and seriousness should prevail." The Greek Minister of Sports, George Lianis, took a somewhat firmer stand, asking the Greek government to look into the matter. In a letter to the Public Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeal, he wrote, "The international news agencies, as well as the British newspapers Observer and Guardian reveal an e-mail, sent to an unknown coach, who was asked to warn a Greek colleague of his about the development of a new drug test, able to detect the banned substance the latter had received. This fact gives cause for misinterpretations up to the point of staining the reputation of prominent Greek athletes and their coaches." Requesting swift action, Lianis wrote, "Taking into account that this case excites worldwide interest and because our country hosts the Olympic Games this year, I would like to ask you to order a precursory investigation, exploring the possibility of any penal offense performed in the country. For this enquiry you can ask for the judicial contribution by the US Court, asking for all the elements of the case, especially those concerning the Greeks." "It is understood," he concludes, "that any Greek proved responsible will be strictly punished according to the legislation. Otherwise, we should protect the reputation of our athletes, their coaches, and mainly, the prestige of the Olympic Games, which is our supreme objective." In less diplomatic terms, Tzekos fired back with the announcement that he would file an 88 million euro ($110 million) lawsuit against the Observer for defamation. As of this morning, a suit has not been filed. Kederis' sudden rise from relative obscurity to Olympic gold in 2000, coupled with his decision to race sparingly, has raised some suspicion in track circles. Immediately after an apparent injury forced his withdrawal from last year's world championships in Paris, SEGAS issued a statement condemning rumors that were swirling around the Stade de France that Kederis had failed a drug test. Greek officials have repeatedly pointed out that financial support for their top athletes allow for lighter competitive loads. For Kederis, that appears to be the case. On top of other sponsorships and endorsements, the Greek government provided the sprinter with a 200,000 euro bonus for winning the Olympic title, 120,000 for his world title, and 40,000 for his 2002 European title. ..... ..... ..... END - TPR #83 - 23-February-2004  |
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