U.S. athletes face IAAF suspension
LONDON, England -- World 100 meters record holder Tim Montgomery and three other U.S. athletes accused of doping violations look set to be barred from IAAF grand prix events.
An International Association of Athletics Federations spokesman said athletes in such a position were likely to be suspended even if they contest their cases.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency are due to hold hearings with the athletes, who have not failed drugs tests but face allegations based on documentary evidence, and their lawyers within 10 days.
"They (USADA) will say to the athletes, 'right, we believe there's a doping offense on this day, our sanction is two years (ban)' or whatever they want to give them," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said.
"The question then becomes does the athlete accept, sign at the bottom of the certificate...or do they fight?
"If they fight they then have the right to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) hearing...and then they can be provisionally suspended."
Montgomery, among the favorites for August's sprint title at the Athens Olympics, received a letter from USADA on Tuesday accusing him of using banned substances.
Fellow top U.S. sprinters Chryste Gaines and Michelle Collins and 400 meters runner Alvin Harrison also received similar letters, according to Gaines' attorney and sources close to the investigation.
The allegations stem from a grand federal jury hearing into the operations of the Californian laboratory Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) which is suspected of supplying a previously undetectable steroid, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG).
Davies said it was hard to go into details before the hearings.
"We've got letters that have been sent but we don't know what's going to happen when they meet, when they discuss," he said.
Unknown territory
He added that the cases were to some extent "unknown territory" for the IAAF since such cases did not originate from failed drugs tests.
Davies said the athletes could be allowed to continue competing at IAAF meetings if the sport's world governing body rejected the USADA's submitted evidence but said that was unlikely.
Montgomery was scheduled to run in Eugene, Oregon, on June 19 in the Prefontaine Classic.
He was also expected to run in Stockholm in July, although the meeting promoter said last month that he would be unhappy to have him if drugs charges were still outstanding.
Although a USADA statement mentioned no names, Montgomery's attorney, Cristina Arguedas, confirmed he had received a letter from USADA.
But she said Montgomery "has not done anything wrong, and we intend to fight any attempt to keep Tim from running in the Olympics."
Arguedas said the evidence presented in the letter offered "meager information, flimsy documents and a flawed process."
Montgomery, 29, lives with sprint star Marion Jones and is the father of her one-year-old son.
"In response to persistent media inquiries into the USADA process and statements by counsel for athletes, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) confirmed Tuesday that it has sent letters notifying several athletes in the sport of track and field that they are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to violate sport anti-doping rules," a USADA statement said.
USADA director of legal affairs Travis Tygart said the letters were "the first step" in deciding if the athletes used banned substances.
"USADA will follow its process, on an expedited basis where necessary, and expects to have these potential violations resolved prior to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games," Tygart said.
"We are also continuing our efforts to review the BALCO documents and obtain additional evidence from a number of independent sources regarding potential violations of anti-doping rules by others."
USADA representatives have already quizzed Jones about documents from the BALCO case that purportedly link her to lab founder Victor Conte - one of four men indicted on charges of distributing performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes.
Jones' attorney, Joseph Burton, called the evidence flawed and vowed to fight any attempt to ban her from Athens without a positive drug test.
