IAAF says Kelli White is guilty

By SHAVAUGHN MOSS NG Sports Reporter

American sprinter Kelli White has been found guilty of a doping offense, but it could take months, maybe even years before Chandra Sturrup could see the bronze medal.

Yesterday International Association of Athletics Association general secretary Istvan Gyulai said track and field's governing body recommended that White should be stripped of the gold medals she won in the 100 and 200 metres last month in France.

The IAAF sent White's case to U.S. track officials for disciplinary action. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency must schedule a hearing with White. If it decides not to disqualify White and remove the medals, the IAAF would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

White, was the first American woman to sweep the sprints at the Worlds. She tested positive for Modafinil after winning the 100 on August 24, but passed a drug test after winning the 200 four days later.

The IAAF gave White until Tuesday to produce medical documents explaining her use of the drug. She said her personal doctor prescribed the medication for the sleep disorder narcolepsy.

Gyulai said White's explanation was studied and turned down, as their experts determined the stimulant is performance-enhancing.

Modafinil is not on the sport's list of banned drugs, but the IAAF says it falls under the category of "related substances."

White denied taking the medication to enhance performance and said she did not know it contained a banned substance. However, she did not declare Modafinil on her doping control form as required, or applied for a medical exemption to use the product.

White said last week that she will fight to keep her medals.

Bahamas Association of Athletics Association president Desmond Bannister said yesterday that Bahamians should recognize Sturrup as having the medal.

"No matter what happens, even if the United States successfully challenges it I think the IAAF ought to give Chandra a bronze medal and give her the money ($20,000), whether or not they succeed, because they've taken a position that says that Kelli White does not deserve the gold. We would be happy to add that to the medal total for the country," he said.

"Anything which is reward for the hard work of the Bahamian athletes I'm happy that they get it. It's a reward and recognition for Chandra and I'm happy that she gets it."

When and if Sturrup gets the medal, that would bring the country's total up to two. Leevan Sands won a bronze in the triple jump.

But Bannister said Sturrup and The Bahamas could probably be in for difficulties in getting the medal, because of the way in which USA Track and Field has dealt with doping infractions.

"In the 2000 Olympics they allowed Jerome Young to run knowing he had failed a drug test previously. Because of that we felt The Bahamas should have gotten the bronze medal in the (men's) 4x400 as a result of young's participation. We haven't gotten it yet." he said.

"Quite frankly I believe this is going to be one big mess, and I can see this country (USA) fighting these sanctions" said Bannister.

"I've think we've seen enough of what they've done as a country with respect to medals and disqualifications and drug use."

Bannister said White testing positive, and then testing clean four days later raises serious questions about the effectiveness of drug testing.

"It raises questions about the ability of athletes to mask drugs. It raises questions about the ability of athletes to get drugs out of their system. The whole system has to be reviewed, if that could happen to her and she could clean out that quickly you don't know who's cleaned out, and it really raises serious questions about drug testing in the sport," he said.

"I for one have taken the position even though it has been a fairly controversial one within the circles of international track and field that more needs to be done. I believe there is too much doping going on, and too many athletes involved in it," added Bannister.

The IAAF ruled last Wednesday that Modafinil was a minor stimulant, similar to ephedrine, and carries a penalty of a public warning and disqualification. The decision allowed White to continue competing.

Had Modafinil been classified as a stronger stimulant, White also would have faced a two-year ban and been ineligible for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The decision to strip White's medals was not automatic. She is disqualified only at the end of the procedure because further legal issues need to be exhausted, which can only happen after she has been given a hearing by her national federation.

If White loses the medals, the golds would go to fellow American sprinter Torri Edwards in the 100 and Russia's Anastasiya Kapachinskaya in the 200. In addition, White would lose the $120,000 in prize money she won at the worlds.

White competed at the Golden League meet in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday and won the 100 in 10.87 seconds.

White is to run in the Grand Prix final in Monaco this weekend and a meet in Moscow on September 20.

Sturrup was unable to be contacted yesterday. She is scheduled to compete this weekend in Monaco at the World Athletics Final.

Caption:CLOSE TO NEXT MEDAL - Bahamian sprinter Chandra Sturrup, left, is one step closer to being awarded the women's 100m bronze medal from the 9th IAAF World Track and Field Championships after finishing in fourth place. Kelli White, the athlete who won the 100m at the World Championships has been found guilty of a doping offense, but it could take months, maybe even years before Sturrup could see the bronze medal. If White's medal is stripped, Sturrup's fourth place finish would be upgraded to third. Photos by Donald Knowles

Posted Wednesday 10 September, 2003