Olympics: Australian drug-use inquiry spiked by witness

The Australian Olympic Committee yesterday abandoned an inquiry into alleged official involvement in systematic doping of elite athletes when the whistle-blower Werner Reiterer refused to name corrupt administrators or competitors.

The AOC and Athletics Australia had appointed judge Tricia Kavanagh to lead an inquiry into allegations made by the former Olympic discus thrower in an autobiography.

Reiterer, an admitted drugs cheat whose retirement on Wednesday coincided with the publication of his book 'Positive', claimed swimmers and track athletes were using illegal human growth hormones, which were undetectable using conventional doping methods.

He also alleged that at least one "Olympic administrator" condoned drugs use by warning athletes about the timing of doping tests and giving advice on how to beat tests.

Kavanagh was preparing to interview the 32-year-old former Australian Athlete of the Year but the AOC president John Coates abandoned the investigation after meeting Reiterer.

Reiterer, reading from a statement, said the corrupt officials he knew of were either retired or were not going to be officially involved at the Sydney Olympics. On that basis, and due to the fact he did not believe that identifying individual cheats was a solution, Reiterer said he could not provide any more details to investigators.

"I have not been silenced in any way," he said. "I will continue to promote my book and my beliefs. I refute allegations that all I'm doing is promoting my book for financial gain."

Coates said he did not regret calling for an inquiry only five hours after Reiterer's revelations became public. He said the allegations had sullied the image of the entire Australian Olympic team and he called for the investigations "because of the potential damage to the reputation of a lot of athletes and officials."

- INDEPENDENT

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