More dope

The following received post of the week honors on Letsrun.com, a web site devoted to distance running, track and field, etc. We'll let readers make their own conclusions on the research.

The post:

A list of T&F, XC and USATF Road-Race athletes who have been caught using illegal performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and sanctioned by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) over the past six years can be found at
http://www.usantidoping.org/what/management/sanctions.aspx

To this list I added the athlete’s event, coach, sponsor and agent (see list below).

Since 2003, 20 athletes have received severe sanctions by USADA. 17 received 2-year suspensions, Michelle Collins & Regina Jacobs received 4-year suspensions and Jerome Young a lifetime suspension. Another 10 athletes received less severe sanctions (9 got warnings and Rickey Harris a 1-year suspension).

LIFETIME BANS:
Despite all the talk about “lifetime bans”, since 2000, the USADA has issued lifetime bans for only three athletes across all sports. They are Jerome Young (T&F/400m, 2004), Tammy Thomas (Cycling, 2002) and Tony Dees (T&F/110mH, 2001).

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE RECEIVING SEVERE BANS (2+ YEARS):
GENDER: 60% male / 40% female
RACE: 70% black / 30% white
EVENT: 60% sprints / 20% throws / 15% distance / 5% jumps
SPONSOR: 60% Nike / 15% Adidas / 15% all other sponsors / 10% no sponsor
COACH: 30% Trevor Graham(Sprint Capital) / 15% John Smith(HS Intl) / 10% Remi Korchemmy(ZMA)
45% 9 other coaches (1 athlete each)
AGENT: 15% Emanuel Hudson / 15% Renaldo Nehemiah / 10% Charlie Wells / 60% 12 agents (1 each)

OBSERVATIONS:
- Distance events and the jumps appear to be fairly clean – or their athletes are smarter about not getting caught.

- 60% of those who caught doping were sponsored by Nike. But this is roughly in line with the percentage of all pro T&F athletes sponsored by Nike. I counted all the Nike sponsored athletes who participated in the 2006 USATF Outdoor Championships, and then counted the athletes sponsored by all the other shoe companies. Of the “shoe company” sponsored athletes at this meet, 60% were sponsored by Nike. Nike sponsored 70% of the shoe-company sponsored sprinters, 46% of the distance runners, 78% in the throw events, and 72% in the jump events. So it appears that Nike sponsored athletes are no more or less likely to dope than athletes sponsored by other shoe companies.

- The athletes of just 3 coaches (Trevor Graham, Remi Korchemmy, John Smith) account for 55% of all serious doping offensives since 2003. I’ve heard that Korchemmy (age 73) may yet be banned for life due to his involvement with BALCO (or at least retire). Graham is currently under investigation and could end up receiving a long or even lifetime ban. And there have been serious allegations linking John Smith to BALCO (http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-23-2004-54595.asp).
- Three agents also account for 45% of the serious doping offensives since 2003. Like coaches, agents can be enablers, finding drug suppliers and doctors for athletes who decide to dope. A 2-year/lifetime ban on coaches, agents and doctors is something that I believe needs to be considered. Doping can end up financially rewarding for the coach, doctor, and agent -- not just the athlete who today assumes nearly all the risk. There needs to be a risk of severe financial loss for coaches, agents and doctors, if T&F’s doping problem is to be solved.

- If I included in my analysis the 10 doping athletes who received less severe sanctions, the demographics of this larger group of 30 dopers would be: 70% male, 80% black, (66% sprints, 13% throws, 10% distance, 10% jumps) and (69% Nike, 10% Adidas, 10% other sponsors, 10% no sponsor).


DOPING LIST [Athlete (event) -- Coach & Sponsor – Agent]

2006 SUSPENSIONS (2+ yrs)
Justin Gatlin (100m, 200m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah
John Capel (100m. 200m) – Mike Holloway & Adidas – Self
Serene Ross (Javelin) – John Zera & Unattached – Self

2005 SUSPENSIONS (2+yrs)
Tim Montgomery (100m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Charlie Wells
Chryste Gaines (100m, 200m) – Remi Korchemmy & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah
Larry Wade (110mH) – John Smith & Nike – Emanuel Hudson
Deeja Youngquist (marathon) – Teddy Mitchell & Saucony – agent?
Erick Walder (LJ, TJ) – Dick Booth & Adidas – Bob Pelletier

2004 SUSPENSIONS (2+ yrs)
Michelle Collins (200m, 400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Jos Hermens
Jerome Young (400m) – Trevor Graham & Adidas – Charlie Wells
Calvin Harrison (400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Karen Locke
Alvin Harrison (400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah
Regina Jacobs (1500m thru 5000m) – Tom Craig & Nike – Emanuel Hudson
Kelli White (100m, 200m) – Remi Korchemmy & Nike – Robert Wagner
Torri Edwards (100m, 200m) – John Smith & Nike – Emanuel Hudson
Mickey Grimes (100m, 200m) – John Smith & Nike – Kermit Foster
Eddy Hellebuyck (Marathon) –Self & New Balance – Shawn Hellebuyck
Kevin Toth (Shot Put) – Kent Pagel & Nike – John Nubani
John McEwen (Hammer) –coach? & NYAC – agent?
Melissa Price (Hammer) – Mark Colligan & Unattached -- self

2004 to 2006 WARNINGS
Leo Bookman (200m) – coach? & Nike – agent?
LaMark Carter (LJ, TJ) – Dean Johnson & Nike – Cubie Seegobin
Chris Phillips (100mH) – Tim McCrary & Nike – Robert Wagner
Bernard Williams (100m, 200m) – Mike Holloway & Nike – Kimberly Holland
Rae Monzavous Edwards (100m) – coach? & sponsor? – agent?
Tim Rusan (TJ) – Dick Booth & Nike – John Nebani
Sandra Glover (400mH) – Don Glover & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah
Chris Phillips (100mH) – coach? & Nike – agent?
Eric Thomas (400mH) – Kim Wrinkle & Nike – Caroline Feith
Rickey Harris (400mH) – coach? & Unattached – agent? (Harris got a 1 year suspension)