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Olympians Pressed to Prove They're Clean
BY SEAN JENSEN,
AOL
Posted: 2008-04-17 12:08:02
Sports Commentary
CHICAGO -- Two of the most prominent members of USA’s Tarnished Team proved they are in midseason form out of the starting blocks.
Decathlete Bryan Clay and sprinter Allyson Felix announced during a press conference at the Olympic Media Summit on Wednesday that they were participating in “Project Believe,” a pilot drug-testing program that neither the United States Anti-Doping Agency nor the United States Olympic Committee had officially unveiled.
This didn’t appear to be an accident.
Seven of the final 12 questions for the eight track and field athletes were related to doping, compelling the press conference moderator to twice ask reporters for any track-related questions.
Clay made his move first, followed moments later by Felix.
Both questioned whether they were supposed to say anything about the program – they most certainly were not, based on USADA and the USOC’s lukewarm responses – yet they capitalized on a prime opportunity.
Sitting before their largest audience before the Olympics – hundreds of national and international journalists – Clay and Felix attempted to emerge from the drug-dampened fog that ravages their sport.
Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones have already been exposed, and the key witness in a federal investigation against prominent track coach Trevor Graham may reveal another dozen names – including Maurice Greene – in a trial next month, according to the New York Times.
Details of the new program are sketchy thus far, although the comprehensive testing includes blood and urine samples. Felix lamented that she has to get up early, and Clay grumbled about the frequency of the tests and the time away from his family.
“It’s just a pain,” said Clay, a gold medal contender this summer who was a surprise silver medalist in 2004. “It’s not the easiest process. But that’s the price of trying to make sure that people know you’re clean.”
Clay also noted that he isn’t compensated for his participation in the program.
Not yet, anyways.
Athletes typically keep information related to “drugs” and “tests” to themselves and demand others honor their “confidentiality.” But by broadcasting their participation in the drug-testing program, Clay and Felix reassure potential fans and sponsors that they’re clean and distinguish themselves from their peers.
This isn’t an act of nobility. This is an act of profitability.
Questions and doubts cost these athletes mortgage and SUV payments.
After the Jones debacle – she was convicted of perjury for lying to federal investigators about her use of performance enhancing drugs – Clay said he was “sad” and then immediately noted the costliest price to him and his peers.
“The biggest part I see is, it affects sponsorship, because there are a lot of companies that don’t want to take a chance on athletes that are going to test positive,” Clay said.
“I can’t say I’ve lost any sponsorship (deals) due to Marion Jones or anyone else,” Clay later said. “There is a direct relationship to the cloud that’s cast over track and field athletes because of some of these positive tests.”
By all accounts, Clay and Felix are positive role models.
Both are devout Christians (in fact, Felix’s father is an ordained minister and seminary professor), and Clay has a foundation that provides scholarships to students from his native Hawaii.
But Clay let slip his ultimate goal Wednesday.
“I’m anxious to let people know: ‘Hey, I’m doing whatever it takes to let you know I’m 100 percent clean. And I want people to know, ‘If you’re going to stand behind an athlete, I’m the athlete to stand behind,’ ” Clay said. “I’m the one that’s going to do it right, so these types of things will not happen.”
The truth is, the program is a byproduct of the USOC’s reactive, see-no-evil, hear-no-evil approach. Four years ago, at the Olympic Media Summit in New York City, the USOC didn’t resist the overwhelming interest in Jones, even though questions of doping dogged her for years.
They were charmed by her looks, her titles and her denials.
Last October, in a U.S. District Court, Jones finally confirmed what many had long suspected: she was a cheater and a liar.
Now, the USOC is determined not to repeat their mistakes. They are adopting a proactive approach, reportedly subjecting a dozen athletes to rigorous drug-testing. The names kept under wraps, Clay said he didn’t even know Felix was in the program until Wednesday afternoon. According to different news organizations, cyclist Kristin Armstrong (a three-time U.S. National Time Trial champion) and swimmer Michael Phelps (six gold medals at the 2004 Olympics) are also in the program.
Apparently, the dozen athletes weren’t randomly chosen.
The aforementioned four athletes represent some of the most drug-tainted sports, and Felix and Phelps are among the U.S.’s top stars.
Just a guess, but the other eight athletes probably aren’t fencers, shooters or sailors.
On Tuesday, USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth and USOC CEO Jim Scherr were coy during their press conference at the Media Summit, making bold statements but refusing to back them up.
They talked about changes and a “new era in our country” but didn’t provide many specifics.
“We are very confident this team is clean. Of course, there is no way we can guarantee that situation,” Scherr said. “But we feel great about this team.”
“I will just say the same words Jim finished with,” Ueberroth quickly chimed in. “This will be a clean team.”
They had better be right; the stakes are too high. During the press conference, USOC executives predicted the difficultly of beating China for the most medals (“We have a strong team,” Scherr said, “(but) we believe that the Chinese have the strongest team”) and bemoaned their lack of resources (“We need support to do more than we are now,” Scherr said).
But another tainted summer could expand the United States’ troubles beyond the oval track and constrict the conduit to sponsors.
Sean Jensen can be reached at nothinbutlovefor@aol.com.
2008 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
BY SEAN JENSEN,
AOL
Posted: 2008-04-17 12:08:02
Sports Commentary
CHICAGO -- Two of the most prominent members of USA’s Tarnished Team proved they are in midseason form out of the starting blocks.
Decathlete Bryan Clay and sprinter Allyson Felix announced during a press conference at the Olympic Media Summit on Wednesday that they were participating in “Project Believe,” a pilot drug-testing program that neither the United States Anti-Doping Agency nor the United States Olympic Committee had officially unveiled.
This didn’t appear to be an accident.
Seven of the final 12 questions for the eight track and field athletes were related to doping, compelling the press conference moderator to twice ask reporters for any track-related questions.
Clay made his move first, followed moments later by Felix.
Both questioned whether they were supposed to say anything about the program – they most certainly were not, based on USADA and the USOC’s lukewarm responses – yet they capitalized on a prime opportunity.
Sitting before their largest audience before the Olympics – hundreds of national and international journalists – Clay and Felix attempted to emerge from the drug-dampened fog that ravages their sport.
Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones have already been exposed, and the key witness in a federal investigation against prominent track coach Trevor Graham may reveal another dozen names – including Maurice Greene – in a trial next month, according to the New York Times.
Details of the new program are sketchy thus far, although the comprehensive testing includes blood and urine samples. Felix lamented that she has to get up early, and Clay grumbled about the frequency of the tests and the time away from his family.
“It’s just a pain,” said Clay, a gold medal contender this summer who was a surprise silver medalist in 2004. “It’s not the easiest process. But that’s the price of trying to make sure that people know you’re clean.”
Clay also noted that he isn’t compensated for his participation in the program.
Not yet, anyways.
Athletes typically keep information related to “drugs” and “tests” to themselves and demand others honor their “confidentiality.” But by broadcasting their participation in the drug-testing program, Clay and Felix reassure potential fans and sponsors that they’re clean and distinguish themselves from their peers.
This isn’t an act of nobility. This is an act of profitability.
Questions and doubts cost these athletes mortgage and SUV payments.
After the Jones debacle – she was convicted of perjury for lying to federal investigators about her use of performance enhancing drugs – Clay said he was “sad” and then immediately noted the costliest price to him and his peers.
“The biggest part I see is, it affects sponsorship, because there are a lot of companies that don’t want to take a chance on athletes that are going to test positive,” Clay said.
“I can’t say I’ve lost any sponsorship (deals) due to Marion Jones or anyone else,” Clay later said. “There is a direct relationship to the cloud that’s cast over track and field athletes because of some of these positive tests.”
By all accounts, Clay and Felix are positive role models.
Both are devout Christians (in fact, Felix’s father is an ordained minister and seminary professor), and Clay has a foundation that provides scholarships to students from his native Hawaii.
But Clay let slip his ultimate goal Wednesday.
“I’m anxious to let people know: ‘Hey, I’m doing whatever it takes to let you know I’m 100 percent clean. And I want people to know, ‘If you’re going to stand behind an athlete, I’m the athlete to stand behind,’ ” Clay said. “I’m the one that’s going to do it right, so these types of things will not happen.”
The truth is, the program is a byproduct of the USOC’s reactive, see-no-evil, hear-no-evil approach. Four years ago, at the Olympic Media Summit in New York City, the USOC didn’t resist the overwhelming interest in Jones, even though questions of doping dogged her for years.
They were charmed by her looks, her titles and her denials.
Last October, in a U.S. District Court, Jones finally confirmed what many had long suspected: she was a cheater and a liar.
Now, the USOC is determined not to repeat their mistakes. They are adopting a proactive approach, reportedly subjecting a dozen athletes to rigorous drug-testing. The names kept under wraps, Clay said he didn’t even know Felix was in the program until Wednesday afternoon. According to different news organizations, cyclist Kristin Armstrong (a three-time U.S. National Time Trial champion) and swimmer Michael Phelps (six gold medals at the 2004 Olympics) are also in the program.
Apparently, the dozen athletes weren’t randomly chosen.
The aforementioned four athletes represent some of the most drug-tainted sports, and Felix and Phelps are among the U.S.’s top stars.
Just a guess, but the other eight athletes probably aren’t fencers, shooters or sailors.
On Tuesday, USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth and USOC CEO Jim Scherr were coy during their press conference at the Media Summit, making bold statements but refusing to back them up.
They talked about changes and a “new era in our country” but didn’t provide many specifics.
“We are very confident this team is clean. Of course, there is no way we can guarantee that situation,” Scherr said. “But we feel great about this team.”
“I will just say the same words Jim finished with,” Ueberroth quickly chimed in. “This will be a clean team.”
They had better be right; the stakes are too high. During the press conference, USOC executives predicted the difficultly of beating China for the most medals (“We have a strong team,” Scherr said, “(but) we believe that the Chinese have the strongest team”) and bemoaned their lack of resources (“We need support to do more than we are now,” Scherr said).
But another tainted summer could expand the United States’ troubles beyond the oval track and constrict the conduit to sponsors.
Sean Jensen can be reached at nothinbutlovefor@aol.com.
2008 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.