First came last months disgraceful details about US athletes who though proven drug cheats had been allowed to compete and take medals off honest competitors and the cover up by the USA Olympic Committee. Now comes the news that top European stars are also cheating.

British sprint star Dwain Chambers is one of six big names who have been caught in the international anti-doping sting operation involving the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). Apart from Chambers, who is the European 100 metres champion, five US athletes have been found to have used THG after the retesting of urine samples from the lead-up to the world championships in Paris in August. US papers have reported that one of those athletes is the world's leading shot-putter, Kevin Toth.

Chambers, 25, was named by The Guardian newspaper as having tested positive to the new steroid in an out-of-competition test taken at his training camp in Saarbrucken, Germany, on August 1.
Chambers's drug result is just the beginning of the exposure of a conspiracy involving a select group of athletes, coaches and chemists, according to sources.
It is understood that others to test positive include Olympic and world champions but they will not be named before their B samples and appeals processes are complete - expected around December.
The hefty cost of the designer drug and the willingness of those involved to keep it as a "secret weapon" is believed to have limited its supply. "We don't know how far this stuff was spread around, but after all the retesting we will have a fair idea," one athletics official said.

Chambers is coached by Ukrainian Remi Korchemny, who runs a track club in the US with Victor Conte, the owner of BALCO, a supplement and vitamin company that is accused of producing THG and is facing a US grand jury next week regarding alleged tax fraud.
Other athletes linked with BALCO, such as Olympic star Marion Jones and the 100m world record-holder Tim Montgomery, have been subpoenaed to give evidence to the grand jury. Jones's former husband, the banned shot-putter CJ Hunter, was a client of Conte's.
Kelli White, the US 100m and 200m world champion, who was caught taking a stimulant at the world championships, is also linked to BALCO, through her doctor, Brian Goldman, a long-time friend of Conte's.
Toth, who was fourth in the world championships and is sponsored by BALCO, has been named in US papers as testing positive to THG. Toth's lawyer Howard Jacobs said: "Kevin is saying he did not know what it was. If he took it at all, he certainly did not know what it was. He had never heard of tetrahydrogestrinone or THG."
"Ever since the 2000 Olympics, and even before, there was a dark spot around the US, including rumours of how people were told to stay behind [from big competitions], so these tests are fantastic,"


http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...631531917.html

This is going to turn into a big fiasco as it appears to have been systematic. The big questions are:

1. Did the athletes know what they were taking was illegal;
2. Do they have grounds to blame Vincent Conte (the nutritionist) at the centre of the saga
3. Are they ultimately liable for whatever goes into their mouth/body

I suspect that the answers will be:

1. No
2. Yes, but only in terms of lawsuits for lost revenue perhaps, not to void their responsibility
3. YES YES YES

I hear Dwain Chambers has been bounced and is blaming the nutritionist. Sorry fella, but rules are rules! (just nobody mention Ben Tune :D )

World indoor champion Regina Jacobs is reported to be the latest athlete to have tested positive for the steroid THG.

The Washington Post newspaper has reported that Jacobs, the first woman to run under four minutes for the 1500m indoors, is one of the four previously unnamed American athletes to test positive for THG.

Should "B" tests confirm Jacobs' positive test, she faces a possible lifetime bans and a US$100,000 fine as a result of a new zero tolerance initiative introduced by the United States Track and Field.

The news follows the revelation that British 100m runner Dwain Chambers also tested positive for the previously undetectable drug.

Jacobs raised eyebrows when she broke the 13-year-old world indoor 1500m record at the age of 39 earlier this year.

Authorities in Germany, France and Greece have confirmed they will re-test samples taken at domestic and international events this year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/3210625.stm

<font color = lightgreen> I bet a lot of famous athletes are not sleeping to well at the moment. The sooner these scum are exposed for the cheats they are the better! :mad:

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Don't worry Wellard. The different American associations will find a way to sweep this under the carpet as well. ;) They're rather good at it, I mean they've done it for years. Will be interesting to see how the Europeans handle it though.

I honestly don't think this will die down as simply Willow. It has been the case for a while now that samples are secured for a lot longer so that they can be retested as the science of detection improves. If this is widespread and systematic, there are going to be samples held by various countries that when tested are going to show the truth. These matters will be being handled by the IAAF and the Olympic Committee rather than it being up to the individual federations of the countries to handle everything.

<font color = lightgreen> I have a feeling we are going to hear more bad excuses than a teacher who is trying to collect last weeks homework :D
Maybe we should start an award for the most creative [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] </font>

Ahh but didn't the IAAF hand the matter over to the US association? They expected them to hand it over to WADA after that. But when a sports association knowingly sends drugged athletes to major events then they're not very honest. Why would they start now?

But in this case I think your right. This should be impossible to cover up.