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Marion Jones' coach and an independent expert share an opinion regarding the news the sprint star has a positive "A" sample for the endurance-boosting drug EPO.
"On the surface, this is not rational doping," said Jim Stray-Gundersen, an adjunct professor at the University of Utah and an expert on altitude training who has consulted internationally with athletes and sports federations. "But neither was the idea of Ben Johnson taking anabolic steroids right before the (1988 Olympic) 100-meter final."
Steve Riddick, Jones' coach the last two seasons, also expressed shock that Jones faces a possible two-year ban if her "B," or confirmation, sample tests positive. A track official familiar with the test results confirmed Jones' tested positive in the USA Track and Field Championships in June in Indianapolis.
The second test, at which Jones is allowed to have representatives, could take weeks, based on past cases.
"Everything about this makes no sense," Riddick told USA TODAY during the weekend.
Neither Jones' lawyer, Rich Nichols, nor her agent, Charles Wells, returned phone messages. Jones, who has vehemently denied drug allegations that have engulfed her for three years, has made no public statement about the EPO situation.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which handled the test, adheres to a policy of not announcing cases until the "B" sample has been analyzed and the athlete has a chance to appear before a review board.
The test for EPO has a controversial history. In 2003 Bernard Lagat, then a Kenyan and now a U.S. citizen, was withdrawn from the world championships by the Kenyan federation, which announced he had an "A" sample positive for EPO. The "B" sample was negative, and Lagat was exonerated.
EPO, a drug that increases red blood cells and thus endurance, once was thought to be the province of distance runners, cross-country skiers, cyclists and triathletes.
"Let's assume the 'B' sample is positive and (EPO) is the only thing they found. It doesn't make a lot of sense," Stray-Gundersen said. "If the only thing she was taking is EPO, that would be highly unlikely. It would enhance oxygen uptake for her ability to run a 5K, but she's not doing anything close to that." That also is Riddick's point: "Marion don't need no EPO."
But the BALCO steroid scandal, which broke in 2003 and included allegations of performance drug use by Jones, revealed sprinters used EPO in addition to steroids, testosterone and human growth hormone. Kelli White, stripped of U.S. and world 100 and 200 titles after admitting performance drug use, said EPO helped intensify her workouts. But, Stray-Gundersen said, "How does she attribute that to EPO when that wasn't the only thing she was using?"
Three years ago, Victor Conte, who founded the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative that provided performance drugs to athletes in a variety of sports, told ABC that Jones used a host of banned drugs, including EPO, before, during and after the 2000 Olympics, at which she won five medals.
Jones denied the accusations and sued Conte for $25million in a case that was settled out of court but hasn't silenced Conte. Since the settlement, Conte hasn't retracted the claims and has repeated the charges.
"I have always told the truth regarding my relationship with Marion Jones," Conte said in a statement.
A positive for EPO in an in-competition test, such as the USA championships, is rare. The drug has a quick clearance time, exiting an athlete's system in 48 to 72 hours, according to Stray-Gundersen. So the window for a positive test is small. An athlete knowledgeable about the drug presumably would get off it in sufficient time not to turn up positive at the meet.
"That hasn't stopped athletes from doing dumb things in the past," Stray-Gundersen said.
Said Riddick: "Marion knows she's going to be tested (at the U.S. meet). Why would she use EPO a few days before running? This just ain't making no sense."
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