Pubdate: Tue, 02 Feb 1999
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
Copyright: 1999 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.phillynews.com/
Forum: http://interactive.phillynews.com/talk-show/
Author: Stephen Wilson, AP

IOC DRUG MEETING IS FRACTIOUS

Site Scandal Is Discussed Insecret

LAUSANNE, Switzerland  -- The International Olympic Committee,
scrambling to keep its drug summit from being overshadowed by the
Olympic corruption scandals, ran into disputes yesterday over key
issues in the antidoping fight.

On the eve of what was billed as a watershed meeting in the war
against performance-enhancing drugs, there were signs that the IOC was
in for a contentious meeting.

Differences emerged over the structure of a proposed international
drug agency, the definition of doping and the severity of sanctions.

The IOC executive board, meanwhile, met under tight secrecy to discuss
the twin crises of corruption and drugs. Reporters were kept away from
IOC headquarters during the meeting, an unusual measure.

In action directly linked to the bribery scandal, the board formed the
IOC's first ethics commission and created a code of conduct.

Director general Francois Carrard said the ethics panel would police
"the general conduct of IOC members and their business practices."

He said the five-member panel would include three officials from
outside the International OlympicCommittee. He said they would be
"very serious independent personalities" from different parts of the
world.

In Australia, that country's Olympic Committee president, John Coates,
said a range of luxuries to be provided to Olympic delegates to the
2002 Sydney games is under review. "I can't understand why we need,
for all of the 100 IOC members, to provide them with a car to go to
the venues each day  -- a dedicated vehicle  -- when we can just line
the buses up," Coates said.

Even before the anti-doping summit begins today, a major dispute was
brewing over the creation of an Olympic antidoping agency that would
be responsible for instituting random, out-of-competition drug tests.

Olympic officials were divided over whether the agency should be run
by IOC leaders or have a more independent status.

IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said Sunday he would oversee the
agency as president or chairman. And he proposed that the IOC medical
commission chairman, Prince Alexandre de Merode, should run the agency
on a day-to-day basis.

De Merode, a Belgian, has led the IOC medical commission since its
inception 30 years ago. Critics contend he has been ineffective in
combating doping, which has escalated at an alarming rate in recent
years.

White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey, who is part of the U.S.
delegation to the conference, is advocating a totally independent agency.

Critics claim the body would lack credibility if it was run by the
IOC.

There were clear signs of opposition to Samaranch's proposal within
the IOC. Vice presidents Dick Pound of Canada and Anita DeFrantz of
the United States both expressed reservations.

An IOC working group called for the possibility of life bans and $1
million fines for athletes found guilty of serious cases of
"intentional doping." Details of that proposal had been reported previously.

The world soccer federation, FIFA, said it opposed key points of the
proposal on grounds that it is legally unworkable. FIFA also
complained that the IOC's proposed definition of doping is flawed
because it focuses on health rather than ethical issues.
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