Montgomery took drugs before Sydney gold

Published on Monday 24 November 2008 22:20

THE International Olympic Committee is ready to "take the necessary actions" after the disgraced American sprinter Tim Montgomery admitted he took banned substances before the Sydney Olympics, where he won a relay gold medal.

Montgomery said in a US TV interview that he took testosterone and human growth hormone before the Sydney Games, and doesn't deserve his gold in the 4x100 metres relay. Montgomery ran in the preliminaries but not the final.

"The IOC will look into the matter as part of its open file on the Balco case and take the necessary actions," IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in an email yesterday. "Back in 2004, the IOC set up a disciplinary commission with a view to how the case might have affected Olympic Games' competitions."

Moreau also said the IOC supports the US Olympic Committee's call for Montgomery to voluntarily return his medal.

The International Association of Athletics Federation needs formal notification from Montgomery in writing before its anti-doping board can review the case, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said.

Montgomery's admission was made during an interview scheduled to be broadcast tonight on HBO television.

"I have a gold medal that I'm sitting on that I didn't get with my own ability," Montgomery said. "I'm not here to take away from anybody else's accomplishments, only my own. And I must say, I apologise to the other people that was on the relay team if that was to happen."

Montgomery, currently in prison, never tested positive for drugs, but he was banned for two years and his world record in the 100m was erased after he was linked to the Balco doping investigation. He retired after the ban was imposed in 2005.

How Montgomery's admission might affect his 2000 Olympics relay team-mates is uncertain. Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, Maurice Greene and Kenneth Brokenburr were the other members of the team. Drummond, Williams, Lewis and Greene ran in the Olympic final.

The IOC had previously tried to strip the entire US 4x400m relay team of their 2000 gold over a previous doping violation by team member Jerome Young. But Young had not run in the final, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the rest of the team should not be disqualified.

However, the entire team had to give up their medals this summer after Antonio Pettigrew – who did run in the final – admitted doping.