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Montgomery latest culprit of BALCO scandal
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-14 11:03
LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Former world 100 metres record holder Tim
Montgomery became on Tuesday the highest profile culprit after a U.S. federal
investigation into the BALCO laboratory doping conspiracy.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Montgomery and Chryste Gaines
for two years each from June 6 this year after accepting evidence that the pair
had taken the designer steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone).
In addition Montgomery will forfeit all his results and earnings from March
31, 2001, through to June 6 while Gaines will have her results annulled and lose
her winnings from November 30, 2003, up to the same date.
CAS said those were the dates when both athletes told double world sprint
champion Kelli White that they had been taking THG.
Montgomery, 30, the former partner of triple Olympic champion Marion Jones,
won $100,000 alone after setting his then world record of 9.78 seconds at the
2002 Paris grand prix final.
A CAS statement on Tuesday said the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) submitted
evidence that BALCO had been involved in a conspiracy to distribute undetectable
performance-enhancing drugs.
Agents from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service criminal investigations unit
raided the laboratory in California on September 23, 2003.
A CAS statement said the (USADA) had sought a four-year ban for Montgomery
for taking part in a world-wide doping conspiracy initiated by BALCO.
"According to USADA, BALCO was involved in a conspiracy, the purpose of which
was the distribution and use of doping substances and techniques that were
either undetectable or difficult to detect in routine drug testing.
"BALCO is alleged to have distributed several types of doping agents to
professional athletes in track and field, baseball and football.
"Among these were (THG), otherwise known as 'the clear' that could not be
identified by routine anti-doping testing until 2003."
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