Athletics: Crawford Severs Links With Graham

Shawn Crawford, the Olympic 200 metres champion, has severed his ties with his coach, Trevor Graham, who was last week indicted by a United States grand jury and on Tuesday received notice from the US Anti-Doping Agency that he is accused of violating doping rules.

"All this stuff that's going on, I just don't want to be bombarded with it," said Crawford, who has worked with Graham for three years. "I'm doing my own thing now and getting my workouts from my dad."

Graham, who has coached some of the world's top sprinters - including the Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin, who is facing an eight-year ban after testing positive for steroids for the second time in his career - was indicted last week by a grand jury on three counts of making false statements related to steroid distribution. The Jamaican is the first coach to be targeted by USADA for punishment. Its evidence allegedly includes testimony from athletes as well as details released by the federal authorities. Graham has been linked with at least 10 athletes either banned or accused of doping, including the former world 100m record holder Tim Montgomery. He has always denied being involved in distributing steroids.

Graham helped unmask the Bay Area Co-Operative Laboratory scandal in 2003 by sending the USADA a syringe containing the previously undetectable THG, the drug for which Dwain Chambers tested positive and was banned for two years. Graham is charged with lying to federal agents investigating the scandal and is due to appear before a court in San Francisco next Thursday and could face up to five years in prison if found guilty. His attorney has said he is not guilty.