Black Dynamite
01-25-2006, 03:51 PM
Top U.S. skeleton slider given doping warning, will race in Turin
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
January 23, 2006
Top American skeleton racer Zach Lund will compete in next month's Turin Olympics after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Monday issued him only a public warning following a failed drug test.
Because he wasn't suspended, the U.S. Olympic Committee, which approves the delegation for Turin, said it would credential Lund for the games.
"Zach Lund is eligible for the U.S. Olympic Team and will compete in Torino," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said.
Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a banned substance often used as a steroid-masking agent, at a competition in November and was barred from the past two World Cup races. Lund said the positive result stemmed from his use of a hair-restoration product.
The USADA ordered that Lund forfeit his second-place finish from the season's opening World Cup race in Calgary, Alberta in November. That was the competition where Lund had the positive test.
Lund was the World Cup overall points leader and an Olympic favorite before being sanctioned earlier this month.
"I'm glad USADA saw it for what it was, a mistake and nothing else," Lund said. "I had a very strong case. I had all the evidence that I needed to prove that it was a harmless, honest mistake. I could show that I'm not on performance-enhancing drugs and they handled it in the right way."
Lund was flying to Europe shortly after USADA's decision was announced. He's hopeful of competing in this weekend's World Cup finale at Altenberg, Germany.
It's not known if the sport's governing body, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, will allow Lund to slide since he wasn't on the official U.S. roster submitted for the race Monday.
"We're thrilled with it," said Howard Jacobs, Lund's attorney. "We felt that the circumstances of the cases warranted the minimum possible sanction under the rules and we're glad that USADA agreed."
Lund has taken hair-restoration products since 1999 and has always declared them on his medical forms that get filled out before competition. He is no longer taking Proscar, the pill he was using at the time of the positive drug test, and is even avoiding multivitamins and other over-the-counter products, just to be safe.
"I have learned my lesson," Lund said. "If this was God's way of telling me that he wants me to go bald, I get the message."
Later Monday, suspended U.S. skeleton coach Tim Nardiello was expected to learn the outcome of last week's arbitration hearing involving the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
The arbitrator was expected to rule if the USBSF was justified in suspending Nardiello, who was accused of sexually harassing two members of his team.
"It'd be great if Tim could come back to the team with me," Lund said. "Right now, that would be the best thing that could happen for us."
In skeleton, athletes slide headfirst on a sled at more than 70 mph on the same track used for bobsled and luge. The sport was added to the Olympics in 2002, and Americans won gold medals in the men's and women's events.
Updated on Monday, Jan 23, 2006 3:22 pm EST
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
January 23, 2006
Top American skeleton racer Zach Lund will compete in next month's Turin Olympics after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Monday issued him only a public warning following a failed drug test.
Because he wasn't suspended, the U.S. Olympic Committee, which approves the delegation for Turin, said it would credential Lund for the games.
"Zach Lund is eligible for the U.S. Olympic Team and will compete in Torino," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said.
Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a banned substance often used as a steroid-masking agent, at a competition in November and was barred from the past two World Cup races. Lund said the positive result stemmed from his use of a hair-restoration product.
The USADA ordered that Lund forfeit his second-place finish from the season's opening World Cup race in Calgary, Alberta in November. That was the competition where Lund had the positive test.
Lund was the World Cup overall points leader and an Olympic favorite before being sanctioned earlier this month.
"I'm glad USADA saw it for what it was, a mistake and nothing else," Lund said. "I had a very strong case. I had all the evidence that I needed to prove that it was a harmless, honest mistake. I could show that I'm not on performance-enhancing drugs and they handled it in the right way."
Lund was flying to Europe shortly after USADA's decision was announced. He's hopeful of competing in this weekend's World Cup finale at Altenberg, Germany.
It's not known if the sport's governing body, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, will allow Lund to slide since he wasn't on the official U.S. roster submitted for the race Monday.
"We're thrilled with it," said Howard Jacobs, Lund's attorney. "We felt that the circumstances of the cases warranted the minimum possible sanction under the rules and we're glad that USADA agreed."
Lund has taken hair-restoration products since 1999 and has always declared them on his medical forms that get filled out before competition. He is no longer taking Proscar, the pill he was using at the time of the positive drug test, and is even avoiding multivitamins and other over-the-counter products, just to be safe.
"I have learned my lesson," Lund said. "If this was God's way of telling me that he wants me to go bald, I get the message."
Later Monday, suspended U.S. skeleton coach Tim Nardiello was expected to learn the outcome of last week's arbitration hearing involving the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
The arbitrator was expected to rule if the USBSF was justified in suspending Nardiello, who was accused of sexually harassing two members of his team.
"It'd be great if Tim could come back to the team with me," Lund said. "Right now, that would be the best thing that could happen for us."
In skeleton, athletes slide headfirst on a sled at more than 70 mph on the same track used for bobsled and luge. The sport was added to the Olympics in 2002, and Americans won gold medals in the men's and women's events.
Updated on Monday, Jan 23, 2006 3:22 pm EST