NEW YORK, 20 October 2004 — Olympic 400 meters relay gold medalist Alvin Harrison has been banned for four years after he admitted taking a variety of performance-enhancing drugs.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency said yesterday that the evidence against Harrison constituted a so-called “non-analytical positive” as he did not fail a drugs test.
“Harrison admitted to using numerous undetectable performance-enhancing drugs including anabolic steroids known as ‘the clear’ and ‘the cream’, insulin, EPO, growth hormone and modafinil,” USADA said in a statement.
Harrison won 4x400m relay gold medals at the 2000 Sydney and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and also two silvers in the 400 meters. The ban effectively ends the 30-year-old’s career.
Three of the Sydney relay squad have either failed tests or been banned for doping, including Alvin’s twin brother Calvin.
“In addition to his suspension, which began on Oct. 18 2004, Harrison forfeits all his competitive results and winnings since Feb. 1, 2001,” the USADA statement said.
Calvin was suspended for two years for a second doping violation involving the stimulant modafinil in August 2004. Two years is the benchmark ban for a doping offence.
Neither brother ran at August’s Athens Olympics.
Alvin’s is the second non-analytical positive involving athletes linked with BALCO, the Californian laboratory at the centre of a drugs scandal, which has rocked athletics.
US sprinter Kelli White was banned and stripped of her 100 meters gold medal from the 2003 world championships after admitting drugs offences.
USADA said yesterday that 10 other athletes had received sanctions for positive tests for the steroid THG or modafinil, two of the drugs linked to BALCO.
