Here's the text from the Washington Post:
"2000 U.S. Men's 4x400 Team Loses Gold Medals
Michael Johnson and the other U.S. men that competed on the winning 4x400 relay team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney must return their gold medals, the International Olympic Committee executive board decided Saturday in a decision that came as no surprise.
The IOC made the determination after reviewing the doping admissions made by Antonio Pettigrew, who ran in the event's final and had admitted in federal court in May that he took performance-enhancing drugs during the 2000 Summer Games. Johnson, the world record holder in the 200 and 400 meters, had said shortly after learning of Pettigrew's testimony during the trial of track coach Trevor Graham he was "shocked" and planned to return his medal. Another relay team member, Jerome Young, had previously been stripped of his medal by the IOC for a doping violation."
And THIS from the Californian:
"
Three of the four runners from the relay final have been tainted by drugs.
Alvin Harrison accepted a four-year ban in 2004 after admitting he used performance-enhancers. Calvin Harrison tested positive for a banned stimulant in 2003 and was suspended for two years. Young was banned for life for doping violations.
The twins spent much of the 1990s starring in football and track for North Salinas High School and Hartnell College. They went on to qualify and compete for Team USA's track team, capturing gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as relay squad members. Alvin also earned a silver medal for a second-place finish in the solo 800-meter race. "We support the action taken today by the IOC," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said. "Athletes who make the unacceptable choice to cheat should recognize that there will be consequences. Those consequences can be severe including the loss of medals and results. We're in full support of this action. In other matters like this in the past we've worked with the IOC to make certain medals will be returned, and we'll do so again."
The IOC also disqualified Pettigrew from his seventh-place finish in the individual 400 meters in Sydney. And the committee banned him from attending the upcoming Beijing Games "in any capacity," including as a competitor, coach or technical official. Pettigrew has retired from competition, and the U.S. Olympic Committee said there were no plans for him to be in Beijing.
The IOC had previously tried to strip the relay team after it became known that Young tested positive before the Sydney Games. But a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport said the entire team should not be disqualified, and Pettigrew and the others were allowed to keep their medals.
Saturday's move came four months after the IOC stripped the gold from the U.S. women's 1,600-meter relay team and bronze from the women's 400-meter relay squad because of doping by Jones. She admitted last year that she used drugs at the time and returned her five medals, including gold in the 100 meters and 200 meters and bronze in the long jump. The IOC has put off any decision on reallocating the U.S. medals until later this year when it takes into account all the files from the BALCO investigation in the United States."
What's happening? Why do you suppose these athletes chose to engage in doping? Did they not think it would catch up to them? (That's a rhetorical question). Goodness gracious.
Posted By: Dee Gray
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 12:37AM
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