Top athletes on THG says Boldon

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s quadruple Olympic sprint medallist Ato Boldon said yesterday his Los Angeles, US-based HSI Team is to blame for the recent scandal involving the designer steroid THG. Boldon made the startling discovery on i95.5 FM Radio on a programme hosted by Andre E Baptiste. Also on the talk show was Keith Eddy vice-president of Technical Development at British Gas; and Dr Adrian Lourde chairman of the Barbados-based National Anti-Doping Organisation. Boldon, who has been in his homeland for the past six weeks said the desire of the leading athletes to match the world class accomplishments of the HSI stable of John Smith has led them to use illegal methods, mainly performance enhancing drugs to stay on top of the competition.

Apart from Boldon, other world-rated runners at Los Angeles-based HSI are former world record holder for the 100 metres Maurice Greene, and Jon Drummond, both of the US. “This drug scandal will turn out to be bigger than the 1988 Seoul Olympics when Canadian Ben Johnson was found to have used drugs to win the 100-metres final in a record time,” said Boldon yesterday. He said his information is that THG (tetrahydrogestrinone) has been around since the Sydney Olympics of 2000 and that the anti-doping net will drag many more high profile names as the investigation into the previously undetected drug’s use widens. Boldon, a former 200-metres World Championships title-holder said although it is impossible to differentiate a “clean” runner from one who is cheating by mere appearance, he has been able to observe significant physical changes in several of his top opponents. “The Dwain Chambers of three years ago is totally different physically from him now,” said Boldon. “His muscle density has increased greatly,” he said.

Chambers last week admitted having traces of THG in his system after testing positive but denied knowlingly taking the steroid to enhance his performance. However this explanation was debunked by Boldon who said athletes undergoing drugs tests at the competition venue must fill out comprehensive forms listing the substances and/or medication they have consumed which may fall under the prohibited list. Boldon also said he thinks the use of illegal steroids is rampant in the Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US and pointed to the San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds who he said has “bulked up” considerably in recent years. He also pointed out a link between Bonds and Chambers with Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative  (BALCO) and its founder Victor Conte, whose California lab is linked to the latest drug. Two years ago Boldon tested positive for ephridine, a banned substance which he said was in the cough medicine he took. He was subsequently cleared by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Keith Eddy, a talented footballer who played for the junior and senior national teams during the 70s said the debate on drug use in international sports will go on despite new ways to detect and trap cheaters. “At the international level where competition is very fierce and so much is at stake especially million dollar endorsements from major companies, it will be very difficult to keep the sport clean,” said Eddy. Dr Adrian Lourde, speaking from Bridgetown, Barbados in a telephone hook-up said the integrity of the anti-doping effort is intact as much resources are being showered on detection and education to clean up the sport. He is a former executive of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) who is actively engaged in several community and athlete targetted programmes in his homeland and who hopes to spread the gospel of anti-doping throughout the Caribbean. Dr Lourde said at the end of next month Caribbean officials are expected to meet to forge a common position on the anti-doping effort and to update on their adherence with the stipulation of the International Olympic Committee who want regular testing in their member countries especially leading up to the Athens Games next year.