Montgomery latest culprit of BALCO scandal
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-14 11:03

POUND ASTONISHMENT

The decision, which was based on legal evidence about doping rather than a positive sample, was welcomed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound.

"We now have driven the stake through the heart of the argument that you have to have an analytical positive in order to have a doping infraction, or a confession," Pound told Reuters in a telephone interview from his Montreal office.

Pound also expressed astonishment that Montgomery had not given evidence to CAS.

"We had this extraordinary thing in which Montgomery does not bother to show up to say 'it ain't so.' He did not provide any explanation whatsoever. The panel said it was certainly entitled to draw an adverse inference that Montgomery did not show."

CAS accepted evidence from White that both athletes had admitted using THG.

Last year White was suspended for two years last year after admitting using banned drugs, including THG and the blood booster EPO (erythropoietin). She promised to co-operate with USADA to help clean up her sport.

"Having seen Ms White and heard her testimony...the members of the panel do not doubt the veracity of her evidence," CAS said.

USADA chief executive officer Terry Madden said the decision invalidated more than six years of competitive results.

"It is always a great day for clean athletes when individuals who cheat are held accountable and stripped of the rewards gained through doping," Madden said.

Lawyer Howard Jacobs, who represented Montgomery before CAS, questioned CAS's reasoning.

"I was a little disappointed in the reasoning of the decision. Basically the entire decision is based on the supposed admission to Kelli White, which there really was no admission," Jacobs told Reuters.

"I am concerned about a doping offence based on one athlete's testimony about what another athlete supposedly said. That is a dangerous precedent to set."

Thirteen track and field athletes had been sanctioned before Tuesday's announcement as a result of the BALCO scandal. White, twice Olympic 4x400 metres relay gold medallist Alvin Harrison and 2003 world indoor 200 metres champion Michelle Collins also received bans for non-analytical positives.