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Yegorova beats the system Russian overcomes positive test on technicality
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Nothing is unusual about clouds of suspicion at a major track meet. They are as common as snow in wintertime. Every great performance is greeted with equal parts appreciation and skepticism. OK, what is s/he on? Every withdrawal is interpreted cynically as the surest means to a avoid a drug test. All sad, but unequivocally true. Next Thursday night, however, we go one step further down the road toward total disgrace, when an athlete who is the closest thing possible to a certified user of the banned -- and immensely popular and effective -- performance-enhancing hormone erythropoietin (EPO) will compete in the opening round of the women's 5,000 meters at the track and field world championships. Russian Olga Yegorova, 29, was cleared Saturday by the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the result of an unconscionable oversight that leaves the championships -- and the sport -- open to a sweeping embarrassment. Backtracking: A urine test after a July 6 meet in Paris showed the presence of EPO in Yegorova. Pending the outcome of a second sample -- the 'B' sample -- Yegorova was banned from competition by the IAAF. This would include the worlds. There was, predictably, much crowing and denial from Yegorova and the Russian Federation. Olympic 5,000-meter gold medalist <>Gabriela Szabo of Romania (who, ironically, has also been suspected of EPO use, though she never has tested positive) said she might boycott the 5K final if Yegorova runs. World cross-country champion Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain talked about her teammates staging some sort of sitdown strike. Many of Yegorova's opponents have seen her improve by 40 seconds in the 5,000 (15:22 to 14:42) over two years and by 10 seconds in the 3,000 just this year, and presumed that she was doping. On Saturday afternoon it got much worse. IAAF medical commission chairman Arne Ljundqvist haltingly explained that the Paris lab that detected EPO in Yegorova was using a testing protocol that has not yet been approved by the International Olympic Committee. In short, the only accepted protocol is a combination of blood (which measures hematocrit levels and points to EPO use) and urine (which actually detects EPO), as used at the Sydney Olympic Games. Ljundqvist took great care to point out that the urine test soon will be accepted as a stand-alone protocol -- "In a few days," he said -- but that the Paris lab had acted too quickly. Cutting to the chase: If it is presumed that the urine test will soon be validated, as expected, common sense suggests that Yegorova's dirty test was correct. However, she will run on a technicality. "It's not been proven that I took EPO," Yegorova said Saturday. Asked if she did take the hormone, she said, "Of course not." Szabo, who later in the day advanced to the second round of the 5,000, said she will make a boycott decision after her heat is concluded on Tuesday evening. Asked about Yegorova, she cupped her hands over her ears and said, "I need silence." Yegorova said, of Szabo, "I'd like to wish Ms. Szabo good luck in her endeavors and let God judge." There's a thought. Nothing else seems to help clean the sport.
Men's 100 final should be a scorcherAfter Saturday's first two rounds of the men's 100 meters, we know this much: The Commonwealth Stadium track is super-fast and the sprinters are super-fit. Five runners broke 10 seconds in the second round, and it took a 10.14 to reach the semis. Mo Greene ran a scorching 9.88 and Tim Montgomery a 9.92, both easing up at the line. Ten of the 16 runners to reach the semis ran personal bests. Sunday evening's final could be one of the fastest in history. Of course, there's a catch. The wind gauge malfunctioned during the five semis (and also during the 200 meters in the women's heptathlon), which means that none of the records will count, including 19-year-old Brit Mark Lewis-Francis' apparent world junior record of 9.97. The wind reading on Lewis-Francis' run was a headwind of 2.9 meters per second. On Montgomery's 9.92 it was 2.3 in his face; on Greene's 9.88, a ridiculous 5.1. "Five-point-one against him, we'd all be getting blown over in our seats," said Greene's manager, Emanuel Hudson. Late in the day, the IAAF admitted that all wind readings were incorrect. It would be a shame if the problem reoccurred in the semis and final. Greene and Montgomery seem primed for a terrific mano-a-mano showdown. Ato Boldon looks fit and Brits Lewis-Francis and Dwain Chambers are sharp. Add greybeard Canadians Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey and you've got the best worlds field since 1991, when six runners went 9.96 or better on the concrete-fast Tokyo track.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden covers track and field for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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