[Special Report]

A RACE AGAINST TIME

Are athletes our 'human guinea pigs'

It will probably never be known if Florence Griffith Joyner's sudden
death was related to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Such speculation has been rife in the wake of the American sprint
star's death due to apparent heart problems Monday, but medical
experts doubt whether such a link could ever be established. An
autopsy didn't immediately determine the cause of death.

But the thing is that even the experts don't know fully the long-term
effects of steroids or many other performance-enhancing drugs.

``We're looking at long-term use now; the humans are our guinea
pigs,'' said Dr. Mauro di Pasquale, a much-published author on the
subject of anabolics and other performance-enhancers.

``We could be looking at a potential fallout in the next 10 to 20
years.''

Di Pasquale, a former powerlifter, has helped treat ``hundreds'' of
athletes suffering problems as a result of steroid use but has no
conclusions about the ultimate effects of these drugs on humans.

``We're still waiting to see whether chronic long-term use is going to
cause any degenerative or other problems down the line,'' said di
Pasquale. ``Anyone who states one way or the other isn't working with
the facts because we don't have the facts.''

Dr. Christian Ayotte, who runs the International Olympic
Committee-accredited laboratory in Montreal, agreed there's a ``gray
zone'' surrounding potential long-term health effects.

``Clinical trials are not done with the massive dosages used by
athletes,'' said Ayotte.

But Ayotte added that the air of suspicion around Griffith Joyner
should serve as a cautionary tale on several fronts.

``Nevertheless, we should realize something and athletes should
realize something, that FloJo was a role model for every girl racing
and forever her achievements are going to be tainted by doubts,'' said
Ayotte.

``The same thing with Mark McGwire. It will always be said he was
using a substance he maybe shouldn't have been using. There's nothing
more we can say speculating on the cause of (Griffith Joyner's) death,
but there is a concern. There's only suspicion and this will remain
forever.''

Griffith Joyner, for her part, steadfastly denied ever using drugs and
never tested positive.

But in the minds of many, there was enough circumstantial evidence to
judge her guilty.

There was her incredible improvement and remarkable change in
musculature noted in the 1988 campaign, when she lowered the world
record from 10.76 to 10.49 in the 100 metres and from 21.71 to 21.34
in the 200 metres. Others pointed to her deep voice, another possible
side-effect of steroid use.

Though he never named her during the Dubin inquiry, Ben Johnson's
coach Charlie Francis used a chart showing the progress of the women's
100-metre world record to make his point that what she did was
impossible without performance-enhancing drugs. Since the advent of
electronic timing, the record had never been bettered by more than
13/100ths of a second before Griffith Joyner achieved what Francis
described as a ``monumental blip'' from what could be expected.

``This girl would beat the great Jesse Owens by four feet,'' Francis
said.

Griffith Joyner and Ben Johnson's times haven't been touched since
1988. Today marks the 10th anniversary of Johnson's incredible
100-metre run of 9.79 seconds in Seoul.

One could speculate that drug use in Olympic sport was at its apex
then since the East German and Russian sports machines were at full
throttle and IOC officials and others seemed content to turn a blind
eye to the scope of the problem.

Johnson, with several years of steroid use under his belt, had a sense

of invincibility entering those Games. Even if he tested positive,
many thought it would never be revealed. There were rumours Griffith
Joyner had tested positive in Seoul, but that the IOC let her off when
she promised to retire after the Games.

The innuendo never ceased. Brazilian runner Joaquin Cruz caused a stir
in Seoul when he said he thought Griffith Joyner and her
sister-in-law, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, used steroids. Carl Lewis also
pointed the finger at Griffith Joyner.

The most direct attack came from former U.S. 400-metre champion
Darrell Robinson, who told the German magazine Stern that Griffith
Joyner asked him to buy growth hormones for her and paid him $2,000 in
$100 bills. Human growth hormone can promote muscle mass and is
undetectable.

Griffith Joyner had a heated debate on the Today show with Robinson at
the time and called him ``a compulsive, crazy, lying lunatic.''

``I don't do drugs,'' Griffith Joyner said. ``I never have taken any
drugs. I don't believe in them.''

Griffith Joyner was never subject to random drug testing during her
career, because it was only introduced in the aftermath of the Johnson
scandal. As recent reports indicate, the United States has yet to
institute an effective random doping program.

``The absence of a program tars all athletes with a very negative
brush,'' said Victor Lachance, chief executive officer of the Canadian
Centre for Ethics in Sport.

``With Griffith Joyner, there was simply no credible program available
in the U.S. to provide athletes and the public with confidence that
her and others were not using performance-enhancing drugs.''

Griffith Joyner had her detractors among fellow American athletes,
including sprint rival Evelyn Ashford. A winner of four Olympic gold
medals, Ashford held the 100-metre world record at 10.76 seconds
before it was obliterated by Griffith Joyner.

Ashford told American media outlets in interviews this week that she's
also wondering if Griffith Joyner's death was linked to
performance-enhancing drugs.

``I think for Florence, the drug issue will always come up, whether
she did it or not,'' said Ashford, adding she hopes some light may
finally be shed on the situation. ``If she did something, maybe now is
the time for it to come out to help the next generation.''

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady