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US athletes challenge IAAF to match lifetime steroid ban
Greensboro (North Carolina), Dec 06: American athletes unanimously backed lifetime bans for steroid offenders here then challenged the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to adopt the policy.
Greensboro (North Carolina), Dec 06: American
athletes unanimously backed lifetime bans for steroid
offenders here then challenged the International Association
of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to adopt the policy.
"We just decided to raise the standard and tell the world
stop pointing the finger at us - don't even think about it,"
US sprinter Jon Drummond said yesterday.
US track and field's athlete advisory committee backed the "zero tolerance" measure and the career-ending steroid punishment will be voted upon here tomorrow by the full membership at the governing body's 25th annual convention.
Discovery of the designer steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (Thg) last October and positive Thg tests by US athletes Regina Jacobs, Kevin Toth, John Mcewan and an unidentified fourth spurred adoption of a career-ending steroid penalty.
"The US is going to be the first to do it. We challenge the rest of the world to do it," 1996 Olympic and four-time world 110m hurdles champion Allen Johnson said.
"We especially challenge the IAAF. They point fingers, say we don't do enough on drugs. Now we're the toughest in the world. Now who wants to follow? everybody talks about it. We're doing it."
US track and field's athlete advisory committee backed the "zero tolerance" measure and the career-ending steroid punishment will be voted upon here tomorrow by the full membership at the governing body's 25th annual convention.
Discovery of the designer steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (Thg) last October and positive Thg tests by US athletes Regina Jacobs, Kevin Toth, John Mcewan and an unidentified fourth spurred adoption of a career-ending steroid penalty.
"The US is going to be the first to do it. We challenge the rest of the world to do it," 1996 Olympic and four-time world 110m hurdles champion Allen Johnson said.
"We especially challenge the IAAF. They point fingers, say we don't do enough on drugs. Now we're the toughest in the world. Now who wants to follow? everybody talks about it. We're doing it."
Top US athletes said they expect the IAAF to adopt
lifetime steroid bans.
"I think they will. They have to follow it," Johnson
said. "Everybody is going to have to put their money where
their mouth is. If everyone is going to get together on the
drug situation in sport, we have to get serious."
Bureau Report