SAN FRANCISCO - The head of the former Balco laboratory Victor Conte promised today to tell World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound on Thursday the names of Olympic athletes he believed were involved in doping.
Earlier today the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it had delayed a
decision to reallocate medals won by American sprinter Marion Jones at the 2000 Sydney Olympic because more athletes might be involved in the BALCO scandal.
Jones, who won five medals in Sydney including three golds, has returned her medals after confessing to using drugs. She was one of several prominent sporting figures who were clients of the San Francisco-based laboratory, including baseball's home run record holder Barry Bonds.
"It's important that what I have to share be considered before the IOC awards any medal upgrades," Conte said.
Bonds has been charged with perjury over alleged drugs use.
"I intend to provide detailed information involving a history of rampant drug use at the elite level of sport," Conte said.
"I plan to share specific knowledge of past and present Olympic calibre athletes, coaches and suppliers involved with doping around the world and how they've been able to easily circumvent the anti-doping procedures in place.
"This intelligence may be important not only for WADA, but also for the International Olympic Committee.
"For example, Marion Jones recently gave back her five medals from the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and as a result, other athletes are in line to receive Olympic medals or medal upgrades.
"Several of Jones' competitors may have also used performance enhancing drugs and it's important that what I have to share be considered before the IOC awards any medal upgrades."
Among those standing to benefit from upgrading is Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who won the 100m silver in 2000 but was suspended for two years in 2004 after missing a doping test on the eve of the Athens Olympics.
- REUTERS
