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Olympics reel under drug allegations against US sprint star's husband
= (PICTURES) = SYDNEY, Sept 25 (AFP) - A drug scandal involving the husband of American sprint star Marion Jones rocked the Olympics Monday, prompting denials from US officials of a wide-ranging doping cover-up. The International Amateur Athletic Federation said in a statement Jones' husband, shot put world champion C.J. Hunter, had tested positive for a banned drug in Oslo on July 28. "The IAAF confirms that shot putter C.J. Hunter of the United states has tested positive for a banned substance within the IAAF control system," the sport's global governing body said. A press report said 1,000 times the accepted limit of the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone had been found in Hunter's test sample. Hunter withdrew from the Olympics citing a knee injury earlier this month. His wife Jones is attempting to win a record five gold medals here, and won the 100 metres gold medal on Saturday. Hunter, who is accredited as Jones' coach in Sydney, promptly vowed to defend himself against the drug allegations. "I know what's going on and I am aware of the allegations and I am going to defend myself vigorously," he said in a statement. His comments came as IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai denied suggestions there had been a cover-up of the test results. "There was no cover up," Gyulai said. "The interest of the athlete comes first ... it must be understood we defend the rights of the individual." Earlier the International Olympic Committee's medical chief Prince Alexandre De Merode said he would not be surprised if attempts had been made to conceal the test findings. "I would not be surprised. I would not be astonished," he told reporters, hinting at a wider problem of concealed dope tests in American athletics. He said the IOC believed five American athletes who competed in the 1988 Olympics had failed drugs tests but were subsequently allowed to compete. Norwegian IOC member Johann Koss called on US and International athletics authorities to come clean on doping in the wake of the revelations. "The general perception is that the IAAF and the US is covering up and has a special rule for American athletes," Koss told reporters. But US Track and Field chief executive Craig Masback denied athletes were protected and said every drugs case was investigated until its "logical and appropriate conclusion." "It is a matter of fact and a matter of record that USA Track and Field tested out of competition before any other sport in any other country," he said. "We've exonerated some athletes and we have convicted some athletes. USA Track and Field have nothing to either hide or be ashamed of," Masback said. He admitted there were a "minor number" of further US dope cases involving non-Olympic athletes being processed. "It is a minor number and let me be clear, the vast majority of positive tests that we have, and we don't have a lot of positive tests, are for cold medicines," he said. Hunter's positive test has led to calls for Jones not to be judged "guilty by association" with her husband. "I think this is an individual matter," IOC director general Francois Carrard said. "Marion Jones of course like all medallists has been tested and if she doesn't test positive we should not infer anything from one individual upon another," he said. US officials acknowledged the furore could jeopardise Jones' attempt to win an unprecedented five gold medals. "The challenge that Marion Jones is facing, a very real athletic challenge, has only been made more challenging by all the developments here thus far," Masback said Head coach John Chaplin said the scandal could distract the sprinting star. "It is always distractive when someone who has been associated with your program, or in United States track and field, when such allegations occur," he said. "I'd like to know what the hell we're supposed to do?" he said. "I can't take every rumour that I hear and go into the office and say 'Hey, somebody over here at the Hoboken news said you did it son. Did you do it?'" The Hunter dope test revelation follows reports last week that US Track and Field had covered up details of more than 20 drugs tests on its athletes. According to a senior IAAF source, US Track and Field failed to report as many as 17 positive tests in 1999 and a further nine positives on American athletes already this year.
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