Athletics: Crawford breaks off training with indicted US coach, By: Paul Short
November 9, 2006
Shawn Crawford, the Olympic 200 metres champion, said that he was no longer training with the coach Trevor Graham who was indicted by a US grand jury last week on three counts of making false statements related to steroid distribution.
"All this stuff that's going on, I just don't want to be bombarded with it," Crawford said in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he had worked with Graham for the past three seasons. "I'm doing my own thing now and getting my workouts from my dad," added the 28-year-old who, in addition to the 200m gold medal, won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay and took fourth in the 100m at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Graham, who has coached some of the world's top sprinters, helped to unmask the Balco doping scandal in 2003 by sending the US Anti-Doping Agency a used syringe with small amounts of the previously undetectable steroid THG.
He is charged with lying to federal agents. Graham is due to be arraigned in San Francisco on 16 November and could face a prison sentence if found guilty. His attorney has said that Graham is not guilty. He is also under investigation by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
More than six athletes coached by Graham have been banned for doping or have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. They include the disgraced former world 100m record holder Tim Montgomery and Crawford's training partner, Justin Gatlin.
Shawn Crawford, the Olympic 200 metres champion, said that he was no longer training with the coach Trevor Graham who was indicted by a US grand jury last week on three counts of making false statements related to steroid distribution.
"All this stuff that's going on, I just don't want to be bombarded with it," Crawford said in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he had worked with Graham for the past three seasons. "I'm doing my own thing now and getting my workouts from my dad," added the 28-year-old who, in addition to the 200m gold medal, won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay and took fourth in the 100m at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Graham, who has coached some of the world's top sprinters, helped to unmask the Balco doping scandal in 2003 by sending the US Anti-Doping Agency a used syringe with small amounts of the previously undetectable steroid THG.
He is charged with lying to federal agents. Graham is due to be arraigned in San Francisco on 16 November and could face a prison sentence if found guilty. His attorney has said that Graham is not guilty. He is also under investigation by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
More than six athletes coached by Graham have been banned for doping or have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. They include the disgraced former world 100m record holder Tim Montgomery and Crawford's training partner, Justin Gatlin.
