Sprinter Drug Claims Threaten Olympic Crisis
The Olympic movement faced its gravest crisis last night after the head of the world anti-doping agency demanded that former champion sprinter Marion Jones should be stripped of her medals if fresh drugs allegations against her prove true.
The demand was backed last night by Britain's long distance running star Paula Radcliffe, who said athletes testing positive for anabolic steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing drugs should face criminal charges.
The calls emerged following allegations from the United States that Jones, the world's best-known female athlete and the 100m and 200m winner at the 2000 Olympics, allegedly used a specially designed drugs programme before those Games. She won a record five medals, including three golds.
Victor Conte, the founder and owner of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in San Francisco, who alleges he drew up a programme for Jones that included steroids, human growth hormone and insulin, claimed she easily avoided detection despite tests on many occasions.
Jones said Conte's allegations 'are not true, and the truth will come out in the appropriate forum', adding: 'I have instructed my lawyers to vigorously explore a defamation lawsuit against Victor Conte.'
But Conte's allegations immediately drew the attention of International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency officials.
The agency president Dick Pound said Jones ought to forfeit her five medals if Conte is telling the truth.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said: 'I hope the truth will emerge. We want the truth. We want to know what happened and the more we know the better.'
Radcliffe, Britain's world marathon record holder and an anti-drugs campaigner, said: 'It not only cheats other athletes, but also promoters, sponsors and the public. Being caught in possession of performance-enhancing drugs should carry a penalty.
'Doping in sport is a criminal offence and should be treated as such,' she said. 'The current system does not detect many of the substances being abused by athletes.'
The demand was backed last night by Britain's long distance running star Paula Radcliffe, who said athletes testing positive for anabolic steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing drugs should face criminal charges.
The calls emerged following allegations from the United States that Jones, the world's best-known female athlete and the 100m and 200m winner at the 2000 Olympics, allegedly used a specially designed drugs programme before those Games. She won a record five medals, including three golds.
Victor Conte, the founder and owner of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in San Francisco, who alleges he drew up a programme for Jones that included steroids, human growth hormone and insulin, claimed she easily avoided detection despite tests on many occasions.
Jones said Conte's allegations 'are not true, and the truth will come out in the appropriate forum', adding: 'I have instructed my lawyers to vigorously explore a defamation lawsuit against Victor Conte.'
But Conte's allegations immediately drew the attention of International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency officials.
The agency president Dick Pound said Jones ought to forfeit her five medals if Conte is telling the truth.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said: 'I hope the truth will emerge. We want the truth. We want to know what happened and the more we know the better.'
Radcliffe, Britain's world marathon record holder and an anti-drugs campaigner, said: 'It not only cheats other athletes, but also promoters, sponsors and the public. Being caught in possession of performance-enhancing drugs should carry a penalty.
'Doping in sport is a criminal offence and should be treated as such,' she said. 'The current system does not detect many of the substances being abused by athletes.'
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