Run to Win

Track coach Trevor Graham has been banned for life from any competition sanctioned by USATF, IAAF, or the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Graham is the person that broke open the BALCO scandal by mailing a syringe of “the clear” to USADA. Numerous athletes that he has coached have been caught doping or have admitted to doping in the past, and all claim that they got their drugs from Graham. He has been convicted in a federal court and is still awaiting sentencing.

“There has been a belief out there that coaches, doctors and other people who support athletes were somehow outside the long arm of the rules,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a phone interview. “This is a strong reminder that they’re not, and that we’ll use our authority to hold coaches accountable if they assist and aid athletes in doping.”

Graham has been operating under a temporary ban for the past couple of years, but I can not imagine any athlete wanting to work with him even had he not received a lifetime ban. There have been numerous race organizations, especially in Europe, that have refused to allow athletes coached by him into their events for the past few years.

Hopefully this sets a good precedent for following the rules and competing cleanly, both from an athlete perspective and from their coaches and trainers.

(More Info: USATF – ESPN)

The USATF has revised their zero tolerance anti-doping policy to include coaches, agents, and medical personnel. They will now require coaches to register in order to receive benefits from USATF, including credentials to national championships, stipends, positions on national team staffs and media exposure for themselves or their athletes.

By making the policy less athlete-centered, the USATF hopes to protect athletes and coaches by discouraging athletes from working with people who are likely to encourage them to cheat.

“This expansion of our Zero Tolerance policy provides protection for our athletes, the sport, and coaches who are doing things the right way,” said USATF CEO Craig A. Masback. “While USADA remains responsible for issuing doping bans, the Board of Directors recognizes how critical it is that we do everything we can to deny USATF benefits to those who may be influencing athletes to use drugs.”

I think that this is a good move by the USATF and I hope that the program has a positive impact. I think that coaches should be held accountable for the actions of their athletes; this will help prevent clean athletes from working with coaches who have a questionable history as well as good coaches from taking on bad eggs that might ruin their careers.

Tim Montgomery and Chryste Gaines have just been handed two year bans from the US Anti-Doping Agency for alleged use of drugs provided by Balco. I completely disagree with these bans, and with stripping their medals and records from them. First, the disclaimers:
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