Reports of a two year ban for White

[MJD]

"Sprinter Kelli White has accepted a two-year drug ban that will keep her out of the Athens Olympics, the San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/otherspor ... te%20Drugs


Edit: A little more:

"Using unprecedented measures - known as non-analytical positives - anti-doping officials are trying to weed out any athlete suspected of using banned drugs - even those who have not been caught by a positive drug test."

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/8699751.htm

[gh]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

The official USADA release

U.S. TRACK ATHLETE ACCEPTS TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION FROM USADA



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 19, 2004) -- The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Wednesday that Kelli White, the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Champion in the 100 and 200 meters, has accepted a two-year suspension for violation of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) anti-doping rules. The evidence of her rule violations was obtained, in part, by USADA following its receipt of documents obtained in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation and provided to USADA by the Senate Commerce Committee.

White, 27, accepted the minimum possible for her first offense involving the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances and doping methods including undetectable steroids and erythropoietin (EPO).

In addition to her suspension which begins on May 17, 2004, the date she accepted the sanction, all of White’s competitive results since Dec. 15, 2000 will be disqualified including the results obtained in 2003 IAAF World Championships and the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

White, who has agreed to assist USADA in its efforts to clean up sport, intends to seek early reinstatement from the IAAF as provided in the IAAF rules.

“Ms. White has made mistakes but I admire her courage in acknowledging these mistakes and accepting responsibility for them. It is not easy to admit you have done wrong and then stand up to do something about it,” said Terry Madden, USADA Chief Executive Officer.

This is the 17th announcement issued by USADA in 2004. USADA became the independent anti-doping agency for U.S. athletes in the Olympic Movement in October 2000. USADA is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic, Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

(edited because I originally put WADA at top instead of USADA)

(by the way, in case you're wondering, USADA has confirmed the date of 2000 as the beginning of the White mark-removal)

[No Name]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Apparently her coach said that she might not have been able to run anyway because of a bad knee.

That seems that the strategy for saving face: claim that you couldn't run anyway, making it seem as thought your absence from the trials was entirely in your control and not in the control of the authorities.

This whole thing has been laughable from the start, but I certainly hope she finds a cure for her terrible narcolepsy problem during her two-year hiatus.

Has she been stripped of her WC medals yet? I haven't been following closely, but please tell me she has.

[madsci]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Yah, didn't she lie and deny right up to the end, as recently as the last few months in a newspaper article?

This looks like the documents released by the Senate made her realize her best option was to be the first rat off the sinking ship. They should take her denials until confronted with that evidence into account in considering any plea for early reinstatement. She should not get a break. I wonder if she can really provide any solid evidence to bust other athletes? If it's just she-said-she said, that doesn't seem like the kind of evidence that removes reasonable doubt.

[marknhj]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Wow...not exactly a surprise that she was juiced but wow all the same. Sounds like she's agreed to grass as well. I personally feel somewhat validated, it's so easy to be cynical about the sport in this context but when I saw White last year at Carson the first thing I said to the people I was with was, "shit...FloJo". So, any idea what the hell they are going to do with the Paris 200m Gold? Presumably now they've established this non-analytical business it'll go to Edwards and not Kapa. I'm still a fan but now my two favorite US women athletes have proven to be cheats (Jacobs was the other), I really don't know how to feel about it.

[gh]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

And USATF announces new national champions for last year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 19, 2004



USATF names new 2003 national champions



INDIANAPOLIS – USA Track & Field on Wednesday named Torri Edwards the 2003 USA outdoor champion in the women’s 100 and 200 meters. She joins Bershawn Jackson in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, John Godina in the men’s shot put and Anna Mahon in the women’s hammer throw as newly named winners at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Edwards’ titles were announced Wednesday after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced a two-year ban for Kelli White, who had won the 100 and 200 at the 2003 USA Outdoor Championships.

“It’s tragic any time an athlete makes a choice to cheat, but we are glad Kelli is taking responsibility for her actions,” said USATF CEO Craig Masback. “We thank USADA and the federal government for their continued work in the fight against drugs. Their leadership makes USATF’s Zero Tolerance goals achievable.”

USADA previously announced two-year suspensions for 2003 USA champions Kevin Toth in the men’s shot put and Melissa Price in the women’s hammer throw for THG use; men’s 400-meter hurdler Eric Thomas was disqualified for the use of stimulant modafinil.

“We congratulate Torri, John, Bershawn and Anna on their outstanding 2003 seasons,” said Masback. “They are deserving of these national titles.”

Edwards earns her first national titles and will defend those crowns at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. A three-time world champion, Godina now owns four U.S. outdoor titles, and 2002 USA junior champion Jackson picks up his first USA title.



# # #

[mrbowie]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Hip hip hooray for the USADA.

This is a huge victory for them.

Congratulations.

[ycn]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

I agree mrbowie. It is past time to get rid of drugs in competitive sports. It is a cancer that will only get worse without radical surgery.

I believe that USADA knows this, and I applaud their actions. Unfortunately for us and some high profile athletes, with cleansing will come a lot of pain.

[optimistic]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

How does EPO help a sprinter? I thought that that was a drug mainly used by distance runners.

I also thought that they had developed a test for EPO in the last couple of years.

[The Kitchen Cynic]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

>How does EPO help a sprinter? I thought that that was a drug mainly used by distance runners. <

Tha's what I thought, too.


>>I also thought that they had developed a test for EPO in the last couple of years.<<

They have, but I think they've used it only for distance runners. Now they may have to test everyone.

[malmo]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

>How does EPO help a sprinter? I thought that that was a drug mainly used by
>distance runners.

Let's see, low RBC count results in anemia, which affects the athlete and non athlete alike, right? An anemic sprinter and an anemic marathoner both perform worse don't they?

Epogen helps build red blood cells which can only help metabolic efficiency in an athlete--sprinters and distance runners.

[basehead617]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

so as per our huge 'clean vs dirty' thread -- what's the argument against EPO on the 'is it hurtful to the athlete?' grounds?

i'll look around on my own but im sure you all have better insights than googleguessing

[Pego]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

My old question once again. Since Modafinil is a chickenshit performance enhancer, did she (they?) use it as a masking agent?

[sl]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Isn't it also likely that sprinters would benefit the most from EPO use during earlier "base-building" phases of the training year? Seems they'd be able to do more 300 or 400 repeats, or whatever a long session would be, with shorter recovery.

Perhaps White only took EPO outside the window of detection before major meets.

I also seem to recall that EPO tests, which are not cheap, have to this point been targeted toward "endurance events," meaning sprinters probably didn't get tested.

>Epogen helps build red
>blood cells which can only help metabolic efficiency in an athlete--sprinters
>and distance runners.

[Hulk]

Re: Reports of a two year ban for White

Is anyone really surprised that some world class athletes are pumping themselves full of substances for which they don't test? I've been saying that for 15 years now...