Conference kaosws::canada

    News report this morning that in a telephone interview from his
    Carribean home, Ben's doctor stated that Ben used a brand of steroids
    appoximately four months before Seoul but that Ben had a major adverse
    reaction to the drug that required medical treatment to correct.
    As a result he can not believe that Ben would have taken the drug
    again, especially just before or at the Olympics.
    
    The doctor has also stated his requirements to appear before the
    inquiry. He must be the first witness and he must be compensated
    $100K to offset his expenses and lost income.  If he does not receive
    confirmation within a couple of days, he is going to call a press
    conference and reveal all he knows to the press.
    
    Roger

    Johnson's coach takes the stand today. Various rumours as to what
    he will say abound. The best one I have heard is that he will testify
    that Ben was taking up to 30 pills a day and that his personal doctor
    Askavan (sp) supplied them.
    
    Askavan has now agreed to come to Canada to testify. He will be
    on the stand in approximately two weeks. There was no mention of
    whether his expenses will be paid.
    
    They also expect many accusations, denials and counter accusations.
    Because this is not a trial, there are no perjury charges to worry
    about.
    
    More to come
    
    Roger

    The bombshell has dropped.
    
    At yesterday's session Charlie Francis, Ben's coach, testified that
    Ben had been knowingly taking steroids since 1981 and that he, the
    coach, had introduced Ben to the drugs.
    
    Francis had used steroids in 1973 as a member of Canada's track
    and field team and had experimented/analyzed them since. He also
    claims to have given drugs to many of Canada's top athletes including
    Angela Issajenko (since 1979), Desai Williams, Tony Sharpe, Mike
    Sokolowsky, Andrew Mowatt and Kevin Tyler. He also testified that
    most athletes use them. He estimated that at least 80% of world
    class athletes use steroids. He figures that it gives a top athlete
    about one meter in a 100m race. His reasoning was 'Do you want to
    put your starting blocks one meter behind everyone else or do you
    want to start even with them'.
    
    From his testimony it appears that he is really knowledgeable about
    steroids, their dosages, and effects on different sports. He also
    did some testifying as to masking procedures. He is well prepared
    for his testimony with results charts, performance charts, etc.
    
    He is expected to remain on the stand for a couple of more days
    at least.
    
    Roger

    Wasn't there also an implication that Florence Griffith-Joiner used
    them?
    
    Glenn

    re :-1
    
    One of the charts Francis produced showed the time curve for the
    womens 100m. Apparently the time decreased by approx .01sec for
    about twelve years and then in one year Griffith-Joiner knocked
    off approx 1/2 sec. Francis figures that would have taken 30-50
    years of natural improvement. He did not make any direct accusation.
    
    Yesterday's testimony: Francis is up to June 88 with his testimony.
    Besides the ongoing detail, the only new confirmation he came up
    with is that Ben was on steroids when he set the world record in
    Rome. He also claims that he was on steroids three months before
    the Olympics.
    
    Several comments in today's reports from international track and
    field coaches, managers to the effect that they also believe steroids
    are in common usage throughout the world. It is the only way to
    explain the sudden, dramatic improvements in world results.
    
    An unsubtantiated rumour that is starting to circulate is that Ben
    was set up in Seoul. Apparently the masking agents in use are so
    good that an athlete shouldn't get caught unless the testing agency
    was tipped as to the specific steroid used. The question is 'Who
    stood to gain?'
    
    The Dubin inquiry is not sitting today so the next installment will
    be on Tuesday. It is now expected that Francis will be on the stand
    for another week. After the commission is finished with him, the
    lawyers for other athletes, coaches, etc get a crack at him.
    
    Roger

    I seem to remember after the 76 olympics a fair bit of heat coming
    from the Fed's to improve Canada's performance in the events of
    funding was going to be altered. Anyone remember this? It would
    be rather intesting to see if the rate of usage of drugs has anything
    related to government funding.
    
    Also anyone care to comment on what kind of visability this issue
    is getting state side. What is the press saying? Are their any comments
    coming from the US sports organization? I heard a comment in the
    local media that this inquiry contributed to Griffith-Joiner's
    retirement.
    	Any comments?

    More fodder for the grist mill. Francis testified yesterday that
    Ben was *not* on steroids at the Olympics and that he was framed.
    He bases his claim on the following:
    	1. Neither he nor Astaphan were administering steroids
    	2. They would not use the steroid found because they knew it
    	   had adverse effects on Ben
    	3. The steroid found (can't remember the specific one) is one
    	   that is easily metabolized and would pass into the urine
    	   within minutes
    	4. Ben's medal was removed because of 'long term' steroid use
    	   However Ben was the only athlete tested for long term use
    	   while the regulations call for only 'short term use' test-
    	   ing.
    
    I believe what he is saying is that he and Astaphan had stopped
    giving Ben steroids sufficiently far ahead of the games to ensure
    that routine testing would not have revealed the presence of steroids.
    He intimated that this is the normal practice for athletes on steroids.
    
    Francis is expected to finish his direct testimony today and then
    be cross examined by lawyers for interested parties.
    
    Roger

I read something a doctor said about masking steroid use just after this
news broke during the Olympics.

He essentially said, if an athlete is performing at, say, 50% capacity but
takes a specific dosage of steroids (based on weight, health, etc.) for
something like up to two weeks prior to an event, then ceases completely,
he will still be up to ~75% of his maximum performance, and there will
be virtually no detectable steroids in his system.

Kip

    re:.7
    
    The drug detected was stanozolol.

    Francis finished his direct testimony yesterday with allegations
    that the Canadian Track & Field Assoc had to be aware of steroid
    use by its athletes and tacitly condoned it.
    
    He testified that the chairman of the association agreed to tip
    him off if random drug testing was implemented and when.
    
    When asked if he would have brought home the medal if Ben had been
    tested and found clean, even though he wasn't, Francis said 'yes'.
    
    When asked if he would have lied to the inquiry if Ben had gone
    undetected, he also said 'yes'.
    
    Francis has impressed me with his testimony on the stand. He has
    been direct and spared no one, even himself. He truly believes that
    he did the only thing possible to ensure that his country was at
    least in contention and able to compete with other countries on
    an even par.
    
    He used the analogy of arms reduction between the USA
    and USSR. If neither side admits that they have nuclear weapons
    how can you even discuss reducing them. Steroids are like that.
    No one admits to using them, yet everyone is. Therefore how can
    you get restrictions on them.
                                         
    Francis also called for legalized use of performance enhancing drugs
    for athletes.
    
    I believe that a lot of good will come from this inquiry and, that
    if other countries do not have their heads in the sand, that some
    international good might come of it.  
      
    Roger

    It's been a while, so here's a little update.
    
    Angela Issajenko completed her testimony and admitted to being on
    steroids for years. She kept a diary with dosages, dates and reactions
    so she was a very credible witness. She concurred with Francis that
    it was use them or forget about competing at world levels.
    
    Since then six other track athletes have testified, none of them
    particularly important. All of them with the exception of one, can't
    remember his name, admit to knowingly taking steroids. The one
    exception testified that he never *knowingly* took any and that
    he was duped by Francis and Astephan. However, his ex-girlfriend,
    who was also a member of the team and had already testified, was
    recalled to the stand and testified that he was lying and that he
    knew exactly what he was getting because they had discussed it many
    times.  
    
    We are still waiting for Ben and his doctor to testify. They seem
    to be going for the lesser members of the team and working up to
    the stars, except for Issajenko who was so well prepared that I
    think they wanted some early coroboration of Francis' testimony
    from someone who counted.
    
    More to come.
    
    Roger

    The inquiry resumes today after another week's layoff. We are finally
    getting to the main players.
    
    Dr Jamie Estafan is scheduled to start testifying today and it is
    expected that he will be followed by Ben Johnson.
    
    Roger

    	I herd that there will be testimony from a well known up and
    coming athlete in this round of the inquiry. His name is...
    
    
    			Stan O'Zolol
    
    Glenn ;-)