PLEA ON DRUG CHEATS

Australia's top Olympic official wants criminal sanctions introduced
against athletes caught using performance-enhancing drugs, and has warned
of a drugs explosion at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Mr John Coates, president of the Australian Olympic Committee, has proposed
radical new laws under which penalties for using and dealing in steroids in
sport would become the same as those imposed for using heroin.

The call comes after an internal AOC study estimated that at least 2
percent of athletes were taking drugs to enhance their performance.

Mr Coates, pictured, said yesterday he was horrified that steroid abuse
among athletes had increased 20-fold over the past five years.

He believed that the hard sports drugs such as erythropietin, growth
hormones and steroids were as harmful as heroin, and should attract the
same penalties - which in Victoria include fines and up to a year's jail
for possession.

Mr Coates has also advocated applying public pressure on athletes to sign
anti-doping clauses in their personal endorsement contracts.

The proposals have been sent to the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, state
governments and major sporting bodies in Australia and overseas.

The assistance of the International Olympic chief, Mr Juan Antonio
Samaranch, has also been sought on the Australian drug initiative.

If adopted by federal and state governments, it would mean athletes like
Yuan Yuan, who attempted to import human growth hormone into Australia for
the world swimming championships, would face Australian penalties and
possibly jail. Mr Coates said that unless there was an immediate
reclassification of sports drugs to put them on a par with narcotics and
amphetamines, the Sydney 2000 Olympics would be under siege.

``The problem is much bigger than I ever thought,'' he said.

The AOC submission calls for tackling the sports drug problem at its source
of manufacture and at customs controls, demanding that they be treated
equally with illicit drugs.

``There is no doubt that the current penalties applying to sports drugs are
inadequate,'' Mr Coates said. ``Criminal laws must be more stringent to
deter those who would otherwise engage in illegal dealing in drugs and
appropriately punish those involved.

``Federal and state governments have to have uniform laws and commit
sufficient and appropriate resources to ensure an effective regime is in
place.

``If we are to ensure that the 2000 Olympic Games are not to be remembered
as the `drug games', immediate action is required.''

Mr Coates said athletes were motivated to take drugs for financial reward,
forcing a tightening of the team agreement that all Australian Olympians
will sign before Sydney.

Athletes will have to repay all grants given to them by the AOC and the
Foster's Foundation if they are sanctioned for two or more years on a
sports drug offence.

For some high-profile athletes, the losses could run into hundreds of
thousands of dollars.

In addition, the AOC is pressuring athletes to insert legal clauses in
their personal sponsorship and endorsement agreements to repay all money if
they are caught using drugs. Mr Coates said the AOC would publish a list of
athletes who agreed to such provisions.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan